SALT & SKY
A Coastal Ecosystem for
Inclusion & Resilience.
Growing something real in Freeport — from building civic voice and confidence, to meaningful work, to stewarding the Gulf Coast we share.
We're building these programs alongside the people they're made for. Here's where we're headed — and what's happening right now.
Our Programs
What We Build Together
Three programs. One through-line: people who have been written out of civic life, the workforce, and community belonging — writing themselves back in, with their names on the work.
WAVES brings disabled adults into civic spaces — like city council meetings — as an organized group. Participants learn how local government works, prepare and ask questions on the public record, and submit formal written requests about real access issues in the community. Every step is designed so participants build confidence before the next challenge begins. WAVES is the doorway. What comes next is shaped by the people themselves.
What participants build
- Civic participation skills
- Community engagement
- Leadership & decision-making
- Self-advocacy
- Relationship building
- Public voice & documentation
"Voice that moves communities."
ROOTS is a planned community growing site where participants will grow, harvest, and distribute fresh produce while building real workforce skills — punctuality, task sequencing, team coordination, environmental awareness. We're designing ROOTS to be public, accessible, and rooted in Freeport — and the civic relationships we're building through WAVES are part of how we get there. This is workforce development and food access in the same program, designed by an OT so every participant can actually do the work.
What participants build
- Workforce readiness skills
- Daily living & independence
- Environmental awareness
- Community stewardship
- Pre-employment training
- Communication & teamwork
"Skills that anchor a future."
PEARLS is Salt & Sky's Gulf Coast oyster shell recycling and reef restoration program. Participants collect shells from local restaurants, cure them, bag them, and deploy them along eroding Brazoria County shorelines — building real work skills while restoring the coast they live on. PEARLS builds on the confidence and skills developed in WAVES and ROOTS, and is the only Texas program designed to qualify for both disability workforce development and Gulf Coast environmental restoration funding.
What participants build
- Coastal stewardship
- Hands-on restoration skills
- Environmental monitoring
- Materials handling & teamwork
- Belonging & visible contribution
- Employment pathways
"People power, realized."
WAVES builds civic confidence and community relationships → those relationships open doors for workforce and environmental work → ROOTS participants build hands-on skills → ROOTS skills carry into PEARLS coastal restoration fieldwork. Each program is designed to open the door for the next.
The OT Difference
Why occupational therapy changes everything.
Most workforce programs ask people to fit the job. Salt & Sky asks a different question: how do we design the work to fit the person? That's occupational therapy thinking — applied not in a clinic, but in city council chambers, community gardens, and Gulf Coast shorelines. And here's what OT practice confirms: what works for the most excluded person in the room works better for everyone.
Ready to get involved?
Whether you're a future participant, a community partner, or someone who wants to support our work — we'd love to connect.
Get Involved