Blog

At Hall-Dawson CASA, we often talk about the power of advocacy. We talk about the difference a caring adult can make in a child's life. We talk about permanency, stability, and outcomes.

But sometimes, the most powerful stories come from the people who understand those needs firsthand.

For longtime Hall-Dawson CASA supporter Gust Askounis, supporting children isn't just a charitable cause—it's personal.

Gust first learned about CASA through his friend Seth Vining, a longtime CASA volunteer and respected community leader who coached both of Gust's sons. Through conversations with Seth, Gust began learning more about CASA's mission and the role volunteers play in advocating for children experiencing foster care.

What started as curiosity quickly became something deeper.

Because as Gust learned more about CASA, he recognized something familiar in the children the organization serves.

When Gust was just 12 years old, he lost his mother. Shortly afterward, his father became seriously ill and spent  two years in the hospital. With both parents unable to care for him, Gust moved from relative to relative, carrying a burden no child should have to bear.

"I remember being lonely and feeling real lonely and that nobody was out there," he recalls.

Without stability, guidance, or someone consistently in his corner, Gust struggled. The uncertainty and isolation of those years followed him into his teenage years, eventually leading him down a difficult path.

"I was so angry when I was 17 or 18," he says. "When you don't have anything and you're alone, one of two reactions—you can quit, which young people don't do, and the other is you get mad."

For many young people, those circumstances can become defining. For Gust, they nearly did.

As a teenager experiencing homelessness and navigating life largely on his own, he found himself in serious trouble. Looking back now, he understands how fragile the line can be between a child who receives support and one who falls through the cracks.

Then someone intervened.

Through a nonprofit program called Teen Challenge, Gust encountered something he had never truly experienced before: people who cared about him, believed in him, and invested in his future.

One mentor, in particular, changed everything.

"It probably would've never happened if I hadn't had a chance to have somebody tell me I'm okay."

Those simple words became a turning point.

The support he received didn't just help him survive a difficult season—it changed the trajectory of his life.

Today, Gust is a successful business owner, employer, husband, father, and community supporter. He employs 25 people and has spent decades building a life he never imagined possible as a struggling teenager searching for hope and direction.

And that is exactly why he supports Hall-Dawson CASA.

When he learned about CASA's mission through Seth, he immediately understood the importance of having someone who shows up for a child when life feels uncertain. While every child's story is different, he knew what it meant to feel alone and unheard.

"If I'd had somebody to talk to, it might've made a big difference."

For children experiencing abuse, neglect, and foster care, CASA volunteers provide exactly that: a consistent, caring adult who listens, advocates, and ensures their voice is heard.

Gust knows that children don't stay children forever.

"Children grow up to be adults."

It's a simple statement, but one that carries profound truth.

Every child currently navigating foster care will one day become an adult. The question is what support, encouragement, and opportunities they will have along the way.

Will they have someone helping them navigate uncertainty?

Will they know they matter?

Will they have someone advocating for their best interests when they cannot advocate for themselves?

For Gust, the answer to those questions can shape an entire lifetime.

He understands the ripple effect because he has lived it.

Someone invested in him.

Someone believed his future was worth fighting for.

Someone cared enough to step in when he needed it most.

Because of that investment, Gust was able to build a career, support a family, create jobs, contribute to his community, and give back to causes that matter to him.

That single act of support didn't just change one life—it impacted countless others.

That's the ripple effect.

It's what happens when a community chooses not to look away.

It's what happens when people decide that a child facing difficult circumstances is still worthy of hope, opportunity, and a brighter future.

Every day, Hall-Dawson CASA volunteers and supporters help create those ripples. Through advocacy, generosity, and community partnership, they help ensure that children experiencing foster care have someone in their corner when they need it most.

Years from now, we may never fully know the impact of those efforts.

We may never know which child will become a teacher, a business owner, a parent, a mentor, or a community leader because someone chose to stand beside them during a difficult chapter of life.

But stories like Gust's remind us that the impact is real.

One caring adult.

One voice.

One act of support.

One child whose story takes a different path.

And the ripple continues.