​Transforming Dreams: Driven by Resilience, Fueled by Community

It’s 2020. You’re 15 years old. You’re the oldest of 8, and you celebrated your birthday just ten days ago. The unimaginable happens, and you and your 7 brothers and sisters are taken from your home in what feels like an instant…one moment in time, and placed in the foster care system. 

But while you are taken from your home as one unit, the system cannot find a suitable placement to keep you together. The unit you’ve known your entire life, and the unit you feel a deep sense of responsibility for – is now separated. You’re not just separated by miles. You’re now living in different homes across Central Texas. You and your brother call an emergency shelter home for months.
​
This is the story of a young man named Abel.

In the midst of such unthinkable circumstances, Abel took on the role of caregiver. He sacrificed his own childhood to ensure the well-being of his siblings. That’s not an easy task when you don’t share rooms and living spaces. But he did his best, every single day. 

Now visualize this: It’s six months later and after moving out of the shelter and being placed in a foster home, you’re encouraged to join a local program that is seemingly made for you. Designed for youth experiencing foster care and those aging out of it, this Dare to Dream® program connects you with a mentor who can walk alongside you as you navigate life’s challenges. The program promises a community of support.

You’re matched with a mentor named Connor. Everything changes. Four years later, and your friendship has grown into an unbreakable bond. 

This is what our Dare to Dream® program does. 

The framework of our program has allowed Connor (and other mentors like him) to become so much more than a mentor. He is a steadfast companion through life's trials and triumphs. From cheering Abel on at track meets to celebrating his adoption and high school graduation, to helping him navigate the overwhelming college application process, and then dropping him off at college where he’s finishing up his first semester – Connor has been a constant source of support and encouragement. The number one goal of the Dare to Dream® program is relational permanence. 

Mission achieved. 
​
Abel and Connor ran the Austin Marathon together as a fundraiser for Austin Angels. What Abel didn’t know – was that there was a surprise of a lifetime waiting for him at the finish line. 

Thanks to the generosity of City Limits Subaru, we were able to surprise Abel with a brand new 2024 Impreza. This gift symbolizes freedom, and the boundless potential that lies ahead. The best part? A community of people, who’ve stood in the gap for Abel – parents, siblings, grandma, aunt, friends, and the Angel Community…they were right there.

WATCH ABEL'S
​JOURNEY UNFOLD.​
Witness the power of mentorship, community, resiliency, relationship permanency and the incredible surprise that awaits at the end!

"I HAVE DONE THIS WORK FOR 13 YEARS. I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS MOMENT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE."
​– SUSAN RAMIREZ, FOUNDER & CEO

IN THE MEDIA

KTBC (FOX) | Jessica Rivera
KEYE (CBS) | Isabella Bass
KXAN (NBC) | Kelsey Thompson
​KTBC (FOX) News Edge at Nine
KTBC (FOX) Austin News Sunday

KEYE (CBS) Austin News
​KXAN (NBC) News Today
KTBC (FOX) News Edge at Nine
​KTBC (FOX) Good Day Austin
Hoodline | Ryan Anderson