About - Salt & Sky

Who we are

Rooted in Brazoria County, building for the Gulf Coast.

Salt & Sky is a nonprofit initiative in Brazoria County that brings disability inclusion, meaningful work, and coastal stewardship together. We're building toward a 2026 launch so residents, educators, and local groups can create solutions that center access, belonging, and environmental responsibility—starting in daily life.

Our work grows out of real questions from families, graduates, and neighbors along this stretch of shoreline: What comes after school? Where can I work? How do we care for this place and each other at the same time? Salt & Sky exists to help communities answer those questions in ways that fit local priorities, strengths, and identities.

Our north star

Mission, Vision & Values

These statements keep us centered on Brazoria County while pointing toward the Gulf Coast we're working to build together.

Why we exist

Salt & Sky partners with Brazoria County residents, educators, and employers to build disability-inclusive pathways into meaningful work, learning, and coastal stewardship in everyday community life.

  • Closing the gap between graduation and a "just right" community fit.
  • Designing supports that make participation possible in real places and routines.
  • Connecting inclusion work with long-term care for the coastline we share.

Where we're headed

A Gulf Coast where disabled people and their families can live, learn, work, and belong in communities that honor their contributions and care for the shoreline that sustains us.

We imagine a Brazoria County where disability inclusion, meaningful work, and coastal health are not add-ons, but woven into how communities plan, invest, and show up for one another.

How we show up

We carry five values into every partnership and conversation:

Dignity

People deserve to be seen, valued, and supported to live well.

Belonging

Communities thrive when everyone can take part and feel connected.

Local leadership

The best solutions begin with the people who live and work here.

Daily-life access

We shape environments and routines so participation is possible for everyone.

Coastal stewardship

People, health, opportunity, and the coastline are inseparable—and we care for them together.

How we work

From ideas to action, rooted in place.

We bring people and place together to demonstrate that inclusion and sustainability can—and should— strengthen everyday community life. By pairing accessibility with environmental care, we co-design programs that communities can measure, adapt, and grow into lasting outcomes for Brazoria County.

Our process is collaborative: listen with intention, map what's already working, co-create alongside residents and partners, and build models that can travel to other Gulf Coast communities.

Core commitments

What Guides Our Work

Three commitments shape every partnership and program we build in Brazoria County:

Access by design

We start with access and build for dignity, participation, and meaningful contribution in every part of community life.

Community first

We co-create with residents, businesses, schools, and advocates so solutions reflect real places, priorities, and everyday realities. Lived experience leads.

Care for the coastline

We strengthen coastal health by reshaping long-term outcomes. Environmental responsibility is inseparable from health, jobs, belonging, and a fulfilling life in Brazoria County.

Leadership

Meet the Founders

Portrait of Patrina Hayes

Patrina Hayes

An occupational therapist with 15+ years in rehabilitation and education, Patrina founded Salt & Sky to close the gap between graduation and a just-right community fit—linking accessibility, opportunity, and environmental care.

Everyone deserves a just-right community fit—a place where access, belonging, and opportunity are built into everyday life.
Portrait of Micah Hayes

Micah Hayes

A grassroots environmental and civic organizer in Brazoria County, Micah works to make sustainability more inclusive—bringing purpose, connection, and momentum to a future where accessibility and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.

When communities honor everyone's needs, hopes, and desires, we grow stronger together.

Together, they're building the foundation for 2026.