Robbie Ausley knows what it’s like to be worried. She met her future husband when she was 14 years old. She married him at 18 and despite her commitment to family planning and birth control, Robbie’s destiny was shaped by– of all things– her fertility. She found herself with four babies including a set of twins, very little income while her husband Tom was still in law school. Needless to say – Robbie was overwhelmed. She didn’t see how her young family was going to make it.

But it was Robbie’s mother who provided the lesson that would carry her through that difficult stretch and resonates with her to this day—her mother’s lesson was biblical, and best reflected in 2 Corinthians  “…God… comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction” 

And that’s exactly how Robbie has lived her life.

Robbie grew up in Lubbock and her values were instilled by her mother and reinforced by the Methodist Church. She can still recall her mother saying: Treat others as you would want to be treated. No man is an island. You must not judge until you have walked in the other man’s shoes.  

Robbie has used her own struggles to understand what other people go through on a daily basis –  and has devoted her life to serving others. The amount of work that Robbie does in Austin is the stuff of legend—she even has a building named after her at Planned Parenthood.

Robbie has served on numerous non-profit boards including Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, People Community Clinic, Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, Texas Methodist Foundation, The Atticus Circle, The Texas Bar Foundation and Annie’s List.

Robbie has spent countless hours volunteering for the Foundation for the Homeless, and Interfaith Hospitality Network. She has travelled outside of Texas to volunteer with the Appalachia Service Project, the Volunteers in Mission in Mexico, and the Russian Initiative.  Today she spends a great deal of her time volunteering alongside her husband Tom with Mobile Loaves and Fishes and Drive-A Senior. She laughs that sometimes the senior she is driving is younger than they are.

Robbie and Tom have been members of First Methodist Church in downtown Ausitn for 60 years and claims that all her service is tied to her church. “We serve ourselves best when we serve others first,” she told us.

She went on to say that she has always admired Family Eldercare because they are providing a vital service to aging adults by helping them navigate healthcare and financial matters as well as offering them stimulating socialization.

We admire you too, Robbie. Thank you for all your amazing service!