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04. Susan Ramirez, National Angels
DONATE TO HOUSTON ANGELS IN HONOR OF NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
10 years ago, Susan was selling homes and working as a corporate trainer. Around this time, she sold a home to a woman who was a CPS worker, who invited her to a foster and adoption conference. Susan attended the conference and after hearing a judge tell a particularly impactful story of two boys who grew up in foster care, she leaves that conference feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders... she felt like God was telling her that creating change for foster care was now her burden to bear.
So the next few years, she and her volunteer group would help to throw fun service events and provide extracurricular activities for children in foster care. But as great as they were, she realized they weren't life-changing. They needed to get to the root of the problem if they were going to truly prevent these kids from just ending up as another statistic.
Susan spent the next 5-6 years building Austin Angels and piloting the Love Box Program, in which volunteers put together a "Love Box" of items tailored to a foster family's specific needs. But at the end of the day, it wasn't about the stuff - it was about the real, lasting bonds that were forming. It was about the lives being changed as a result of community, consistency, and intentionality.
A few years later, Austin Angels' programs were successfully launched in Amarillo, TX. This eventually led to the creation of a national organization with chapters opening up in major cities like DFW, Cleveland, Seattle, and many more all across the country - including yours truly here in Houston. Listen to the full episode to hear Susan tell the judge's story that changed everything, more about her journey scaling the organization, and why she is so passionate about this mission.
Interview by: Melissa McGrath, President of Houston Angels
Edited by: Hannah Gils | www.hannahgils.com
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By Houston Angels
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DONATE TO HOUSTON ANGELS IN HONOR OF NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
10 years ago, Susan was selling homes and working as a corporate trainer. Around this time, she sold a home to a woman who was a CPS worker, who invited her to a foster and adoption conference. Susan attended the conference and after hearing a judge tell a particularly impactful story of two boys who grew up in foster care, she leaves that conference feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders... she felt like God was telling her that creating change for foster care was now her burden to bear.
So the next few years, she and her volunteer group would help to throw fun service events and provide extracurricular activities for children in foster care. But as great as they were, she realized they weren't life-changing. They needed to get to the root of the problem if they were going to truly prevent these kids from just ending up as another statistic.
Susan spent the next 5-6 years building Austin Angels and piloting the Love Box Program, in which volunteers put together a "Love Box" of items tailored to a foster family's specific needs. But at the end of the day, it wasn't about the stuff - it was about the real, lasting bonds that were forming. It was about the lives being changed as a result of community, consistency, and intentionality.
A few years later, Austin Angels' programs were successfully launched in Amarillo, TX. This eventually led to the creation of a national organization with chapters opening up in major cities like DFW, Cleveland, Seattle, and many more all across the country - including yours truly here in Houston. Listen to the full episode to hear Susan tell the judge's story that changed everything, more about her journey scaling the organization, and why she is so passionate about this mission.
Interview by: Melissa McGrath, President of Houston Angels
Edited by: Hannah Gils | www.hannahgils.com