Indigenous-Led Mental Health Programs in San Antonio Receive Foundation Support

This season, we received news that widens what is possible for the young people, families, and educators who gather with us across San Antonio. Support from multiple funds of the San Antonio Area Foundation means we can keep showing up for our community.

Culturally Grounded Wellness for San Antonio Youth, Caregivers, and Educators

Sana Roots Co works with youth ages 13 to 18, their caregivers, and educators across San Antonio, offering weekly gatherings centered on Indigenous mindfulness, movement, foodways, and communication practices. Many of the young people we work with carry stress, anxiety, and cultural disconnection, and youth mental health support that reflects their culture and lived experience is still hard to find. Our approach is rooted in the belief that healing happens in relationship, not isolation, and that everyone carries wisdom worth recognizing.

What Our Program Data Is Showing

Over time, the shifts we see in students have become hard to miss, and they reach well beyond the room where we gather.

"Our program data has shown that students feel more connected to their own culture, which inspires them to bring more unity and leadership into all community spaces," said Reb Lopez, Sana Roots Co Co-CEO. "We're grateful for support that allows us to deepen our practice and sustain the relationships that make this work possible."

What This Funding Supports

The funding will support our pillar interconnected programs, each designed to meet people where they already are.

Collective Care in Action Across San Antonio Schools

When young people carry these practices back into hallways, classrooms, and kitchen tables, the effect moves outward to the adults around them. To us, caregiver wellness and easing educator burnout are not separate goals in our work, because we believe they grow from the same roots.

"What makes this work distinctive is that it supports taxed school systems," added Vanessa Quezada, Sana Roots Co Co-CEO. "We are seeing the youth step in to resolve peer conflicts that decrease stress and the emotional burden for teachers and administration. In addition, they are taking communication skills into their home to improve family relationships."

Gratitude to the San Antonio Area Foundation

This grant is made possible by the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, Beulah M. and Felix J. Katz Memorial Trust, M&M Keighley Fund, Ruth Lang Charitable Fund, E. B. Loch Charitable Fund, Dan and Gloria Oppenheimer Fund, Frances Margaret Seaver Fund, Valley View Trust, and Becky "Beck" Whitehead Memorial Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation. We are grateful to each of them for trusting relational, community-rooted work and for investing in prevention that our community can feel for years to come.

Join Us in This Work

Whether you are a young person looking for a place to exhale, a caregiver carrying more than your share, an educator searching for tools that work in real classrooms, or a neighbor who believes in community care, there is room for you here. Learn more about our programs and find the gathering that fits where you are right now, or help sustain this work with a gift of any size. You can also reach us anytime at info@sanarootsco.org, and we would love to hear from you.

About Sana Roots Co

Sana Roots Co is an Indigenous-led nonprofit based in San Antonio serving youth, caregivers, educators, and community members through culturally grounded wellness, leadership development, and healing programs rooted in ancestral practices and collective care.