Founded more than a decade ago in Central Texas, Austin Angels has grown into a national organization. Now operating as a chapter of National Angels, it is one of 21 chapters across 15 states, according to the Austin Angels website, and continues to make a positive impact throughout Central Texas and beyond.
How we got here
Susan Ramirez, founder and CEO of Austin Angels and National Angels, said she first started the program while supporting a single foster mom named Esther, who was caring for teenage boys. Wanting to make a difference while still working full time in the corporate world, Ramirez would bring Esther boxes of essential items—packages that soon came to be known as “Love Boxes.”
“I would walk in with this big box, and she would say, ‘Oh, here comes my love box,’ and I said, ‘Yes, here comes your love box,’” Ramirez said. “She’s actually the one that named the program that now serves 3,000 children on a monthly basis in our program nationwide.”
These boxes were filled with necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, and cereal—items the boys experiencing foster care would quickly go through. This inspired Austin Angels’ Love Box program, which was piloted in 2013 and later expanded in 2015, according to Ramirez.
The Love Box program provides monthly support to specific foster families, combining the delivery of these essential boxes with frequent and consistent time-based involvement with the families, including monthly hangouts and birthday celebrations, Ramirez said.
Austin Angels also runs the Dare to Dream program, which matches mentors with youth in foster care to “navigate life’s challenges together, provide advice, encouragement, and a supportive community,” according to the organization’s website. The program requires a one-year commitment, with mentors meeting their mentees every other week to set goals and help them achieve their dreams.
“People are getting the opportunity to build relationships with people that they would never be in a relationship with,” Ramirez said. “We get to break down barriers and really do this beautiful, glory-filled life with one another, even when it’s hard.”
Austin Angels is now one of many chapters operating nationwide. There are currently three chapters in Texas, including locations in New Braunfels and Amarillo. The Austin Angels chapter serves Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties.
Why it matters
More than 4,000 children and youth are in the foster care system across Central Texas, according to the Austin Angels website. National statistics from the Austin Angels website gives more clarification on what happens when these youth age out of care:
- 1 in 5 youth will become homeless by age 18
- 60% of former foster youth live below the poverty line, even while earning income
- 50% will be employed at age 24
- 3% will graduate from college
- 1 in 3 youth who age out have experienced three or more placements
- 50% of foster homes close within the first year
By creating programs rooted in consistent relationships, practical support and community mentorship, Ramirez said Austin Angels aims to reverse these outcomes and rewrite the futures of children in care.
In 2022, over 600 children in Central Texas were impacted by Austin Angels’ programs, 92% of caregivers reported Angels staff give them resources, tools and strategies to help them care for their family, and 94% of Love Box volunteers indicated their matched family made a positive impact on their life.
What’s next
The new Buda facility, located at 401 FM 967, in collaboration with Swinerton and Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and HomeAid Austin, will become a central hub for volunteer coordination—allowing Austin Angels to scale its reach in Central Texas and deepen relationships with the families it serves.
“I want it to be a place of healing and hope for children who have suffered unimaginable loss,” Ramirez said. “I want it to be a place that when people walk in, they feel hope.”
Ramirez said the building’s groundbreaking is expected by the end of June.
Community members can learn more, sign up to volunteer or donate at www.austinangels.com. The organization is especially seeking volunteers in Williamson County.
