Who We Are

 Martha Lujan is the heart behind Beyond Barriers of Central Texas. Her journey started in El Paso, where she was raised by a single parent in the housing projects. First generation. Growing up surrounded by poverty, trauma, and systems that often-failed people. She didn’t just survive those experiences; she transformed them into her purpose. Those challenges became the foundation for her life’s purpose, her "Why". Advocating fiercely for those who are too often overlooked or unheard.

Known for her honesty and courage, Martha is never afraid to speak truth to power. She pushes systems to do better with equal parts grit and compassion. Her advocacy isn’t just professional—it’s deeply personal. She’s walked through the same health, education, and social service systems she now helps others navigate, always carrying resilience and hope along the way.

Her community work reflects this commitment. Martha serves on the Austin Public Health Commission, sits on the board of the Del Valle Food Co-op, and contributes to local advisory committees like the Farm Share Austin Community Advisory Committee. For over a decade, she also volunteered in facilitating with Bridges to Life, a prison ministry bringing healing and restoration to correctional facilities across Texas.

Martha’s voice has been a trusted one in many spaces whether leading Pláticas en Español on mental health with NAMI, sharing her insights in the Hays Free Press, or helping launch a Social Resource Center in Del Valle through her work with University of Texas of Austin- School of Nursing. Wherever she shows up, she brings lived experience, dignity, and a deep understanding of what it means to truly meet people where they are.

For Martha, community is everything. The people she serves and learns from aren’t just part of her work, they are the reason she does it. Founding Beyond Barriers of Central Texas wasn’t just a career move; it was a calling.

Today, she’s proud to walk alongside her community as a peer, a Promotora, and a systems-changer helping others rise beyond the barriers she once faced herself and creating space for every voice to be heard.