Greetings from Michael Lofton,
It gives me great pleasure to share that we will go down in history as having a Beloved Community Model endorsed by Mr. Martin Luther King III. During Mr. King’s visit, he toured our facilities in Manor, where he enjoyed Texas barbecue. He toured our Food Pantry Warehouse, walked the ranch, rode on the golf cart, hugged the horses, toured the indoor pool, and spoke to hundreds of people who came from all over Travis County, with some traveling from Dallas, Texas.
Mr. King took photos with hundreds of individuals, including students. It was truly an amazing event. During the visit, Mr. King asked Michael Lofton if he would consider traveling the country with him to help replicate his father’s dream—the Beloved Community.
In addition, Mr. King met with elected officials, pastors, community leaders, and more than 30 nonprofit service-provider partners at our facility.
MLK III called for both local and national investment in, and replication of, the African American Youth Harvest Foundation’s Beloved Community Model.
Historic Visit and National Significance
The African American Youth Harvest Foundation (AAYHF) was honored to host a historic visit by Martin Luther King III in Austin, Texas, on January 6–7, 2026. This visit represents a defining moment not only for AAYHF, but also for the future of the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center, youth development initiatives, family enrichment and wraparound service programs, and community-centered solutions across the United States.
For more than 20 years, AAYHF has served as a cornerstone institution in Central Texas, impacting thousands of youth, families, and residents each year through a comprehensive, trauma-informed approach that integrates healing, food security, economic opportunity, and cultural restoration. Through intentional design and long-term investment, AAYHF has built what is now recognized as a one-of-a-kind Beloved Community Blueprint Model, unmatched anywhere else in the nation.
A Nationally Significant Model Rooted in the Beloved Community Vision
The Harvest Beloved Community Model is not a collection of disconnected programs. It is a fully integrated, place-based system that addresses the root causes of trauma and inequity while creating pathways for long-term stability and opportunity. This model reflects the unfinished work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a Beloved Community—where justice, dignity, healing, and shared responsibility are lived realities.
Over two decades, AAYHF has operationalized this vision into a scalable framework that is now gaining national attention as a model worthy of replication across communities throughout the United States. The AAYHF Model includes 30+ nonprofit partners and agencies, all co-located under one roof, serving all ethnicities and genders and excluding no one.
Honoring Leadership and Advancing Healing
During his visit, Martin Luther King III endorsed and honored AAYHF CEO Michael R. Lofton and the Harvest Beloved Community Model in the following ways:
- Honored AAYHF Founder & CEO Michael R. Lofton for over 20 years of visionary leadership and community impact
- Publicly supported AAYHF’s Trauma Recovery Center, recognizing its role in addressing generational trauma and stabilizing communities
- Announced his endorsement of the Harvest Beloved Community Model as a nationally replicable solution
- Called upon the City of Austin and Travis County to fully support and invest in this work as a local model with national significance, including requesting funding to acquire the facility to ensure permanent sustainability for the foundation—an organization that has delivered invaluable services to the City of Austin and Travis County for over 20 years with only a fraction of the funding it truly deserved
Mr. King’s presence affirms that the work happening at AAYHF is not only timely but essential to the future of equitable, community-led solutions in America.
MLK III’s Call to Funders, Institutions, and Stakeholders
This release also serves as a formal request for donations.
As AAYHF enters its next phase of growth, we are seeking philanthropic, corporate, institutional, and public-sector partners to invest in:
- Continued expansion of the Trauma Recovery Center
- Youth leadership development, workforce readiness, and stabilization pathways
- Community-wide healing initiatives and food systems infrastructure
- Documentation and national replication of the Harvest Beloved Community Model
Your contributions ensure the sustainability of this work while positioning Austin as the birthplace of a national blueprint for healing and justice.
Make Your Investment Today
This is a defining moment—for AAYHF, for Austin, and for communities across the country seeking real, replicable solutions rooted in dignity and healing.
We invite you to stand with us. Make your donation today.
Together, we can ensure that the Beloved Community is not just remembered—but realized.
