Subaru chooses Austin Angels as hometown charity

BUDA — More than 1,200 young adults age out of the foster care system in Texas without ever being adopted — knowing that Austin Angels is committed to helping these young adults, and children in the system, inspired City Limits Subaru in Buda to select the organization as its hometown charity for the 2023 Subaru Share the Love Event.

“We specifically wanted to give back to our local community and Austin Angels is based in Buda, Texas,”  said City Limits Subaru Retailer Principal Julie Herrera. “There are so many wonderful causes; however, when we learned about the strong impact Austin Angels is making in the lives of foster children and their families, we knew our team could make a difference.”

Those who age out of foster care do not have the same safety net or stability many other young adults have. One in four of America’s foster youth are homeless within four years of leaving foster care and less than 3% of former foster youth graduate with bachelor’s degrees, according to the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare.

Austin Angels’ mission is to walk alongside children, youth and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building and mentorship.

“We radically support families and caregivers doing the hard work of fostering and believe every child deserves at least one loving adult in their lives who knows the color of their eyes and the passions of their heart,” said Sara Hale, executive director of Austin Angels.

Hale became involved in the regional chapter, Spokane Angels, in 2019 as a volunteer board member. She was so passionate about the work that she had accomplished, thus she felt led to move her entire family to Austin so she could work at the Austin Angels headquarters. She has been with the team since January 2021 and garnered the role of executive director in July 2021.

Through Jan. 2, 2024, anyone who buys or leases a new Subaru vehicle at City Limits Subaru can choose Austin Angels or one of the four national charities — American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Make-A-Wish, Meals on Wheels America and National Park Foundation — partnering with Subaru of America, Inc. to receive a $250 donation per vehicle. The dealership will also donate an additional $250 to Austin Angels for each sold or leased vehicle during the designated time period and Subaru will donate $5 to Austin Angels for every Subaru vehicle routine service visit during the Share the Love Event.

“[It] is a great way to connect with potential car buyers and existing Subaru owners during the holiday season. It’s all part of Subaru’s corporate social philosophy of giving back simply because it’s the right thing to do. This is our chance to make meaningful connections with our customers and to show them what makes Subaru unique,” Herrera explained.

Austin Angels had to apply to be the local hometown charity partner for Subaru’s Share the Love Event, according to Herrera. Requirements include: being an official 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization up-to-date on its filings; able to conduct fundraising activities in the state of Texas; 90% of its budget must go directly toward kids and families; and Austin Angels will be asked, following the event, to provide a breakdown of how the organization will use the money allocated to help further its mission.

Hale said being selected as the hometown charity partner will help the Austin Angels organization serve even more families in 2024.

“We are honored and excited for the partnership with City Limits Subaru. From the moment we met their team, we could tell they are deeply passionate about their community and about supporting it locally,” she said. “Anytime that a friend tells a friend about the work we are doing for the foster care community is a total win for us … It means that the chance of families hearing about how we can support them is greater, that people who are passionate about volunteering are more likely to find us and supporters are more likely to learn about partnering with us. Having our partnership will further inform the community that we are here for them, and here for good.”

Austin Angels offers different programs to support children, youth and families in the foster care community. Love Box is one of those programs that allows committed volunteers to show up monthly to help parents feel supported and give children a greater sense of normalcy, relational permanency and self-confidence. This is done through providing a box with gas/gift cards, household goods, games/crafts, clothing/shoes, meals or groceries. Intangible support can also be given through babysitting and tutoring services, counseling, mentorship, birth certificate location assistance and driver's license support.

In addition, the Austin Angels Dare to Dream Mentorship Program provides one-on-one mentorship for youth in foster care and to those who have aged out.

By the end of this year, the 16th year of Share the Love, a total of $285 million will have been donated to charities, according to Herrera. The event has supported more than 2,100 charities since its establishment in 2008.

While City Limits Subaru does not know how much the campaign will raise, Hererra said the goal is “to provide a check well into six figures.”

City Limits Subaru is located at 14457 IH-35 in Buda. To learn more about Subaru’s Share the Love Event, visit bit.ly/3SMpAdX.

For more information about Austin Angels and how it pursues its mission to help children and families in the foster care system, visit www.austinangels.com.