Client 223: Addict to Advocate

“I love my clients until they can love themselves,” says Audrey, the 223rd person to receive a vehicle from OnRamp Brazos Valley. This single mother and grandmother serves as an Operations Technician for More than Rehab, a local addiction recovery treatment program. Her passion is to provide individual care and support to people fighting drug or alcohol addiction. This is a ministry Audrey understands firsthand as a former addict who has now been sober for six years. After working hard to establish her own stable sobriety, she joined the team at More than Rehab to serve others in the fight. She is now enrolled in college to become a licensed chemical dependency counselor so she can provide even more skilled help to her clients.

However, Audrey’s ability to get to and from work and to provide for her family was jeopardized when her old Ford pickup, a gift from her late mother, broke down beyond repair. While she earns enough to pay the bills, she simply couldn’t afford to purchase a replacement vehicle. That’s when her friend and mentor nominated her to our program. We interviewed her and gladly accepted her, knowing that by giving her a reliable vehicle, not only would we bless her and her children and grandchildren, we’d also bless the many people in rehab that look to her for guidance, prayer, and encouragement.

We are so blessed to serve fellow servants like Audrey, who follow Jesus by ministering to people at the moment of their greatest need! If you’d like to help us serve more deserving people like her, please consider joining us next Saturday, April 5th at Drive with OnRamp at TopGolf. Tickets are $50 each and include play from 4-7pm, dinner, and full use of the facility including mini-golf. Significant discounts are available for groups of 6 or 8 who rent a full bay. Purchase tickets HERE. Email stephaniem@onramptx.org with any event-related questions you have.

A Beach, an HEB, and a 5 Mile Walk

We’ve had three donations the last couple weeks to clients whose identities we need to keep confidential. But we can share snippets of what these cars mean for them:

• For client 220, the Toyota we gave her allowed her to take her daughter on their first ever vacation together! They went to the beach at Galveston for three days and took the lovely photo above. We tend to measure the impact of a gifted vehicle in the tangible essentials, such as getting a person to work, school, or the doctor's office. But it's these non-essential journeys, like a first-ever vacation, that form the memories this mother and daughter will cherish for decades. For those of us who are parents, can you imagine what it would feel like to never take your child on a vacation because you couldn't afford a vehicle to get there? Thanks to your generous donations to OnRamp, that is no longer this mom's reality!

• For client 221, the Camry we gifted this young man means he can now get to his new job at HEB. He was nominated o our program as a reward for exceptional achievement in school. But with no family support and living miles out in the country, employment was virtually impossible. Now he's got the tool he needs to earn a living and prepare for a strong future.

• For client 222, a husband and wife, this vehicle now means the husband does not have to walk five miles each way every day to work. Can you imagine that walk?! In August when it’s 105 degrees outside? In February when it was 20 degrees? Now he and his wife have safe, reliable transportation to help them better their careers and build their future.

Reliable vehicles transform lives. That’s OnRamp’s mission, but we need your help. We have many tickets still for sale to our upcoming Drive with OnRamp event Saturday April 5th from 4-7pm at Top Golf. All proceeds go to OnRamp to help us buy more vehicles to help more hard-working local clients in need. Tickets are $50 each, but include 3 hours of play, dinner, and full use of the facility (including kid-friendly mini golf and a scavenger hunt), and discounts are available for buying a whole bay of 6 or 8. And if you buy tickets by March 29th, you're automatically entered in our raffle to win a gift basket (Beach Day, Kids, or Date Night baskets). Just go HERE to buy.

If you can share this with friends and help us spread the word, that would be so helpful!!!

Client 220: Praying for Big Things

Last week, we gifted a reliable car to a single mom in need whose identity we need to keep totally private. But what we can share is the lesson on prayer she’s taught us. While waiting for her paperwork to be completed, we had the honor of chatting with her Advocate, Shawna, who has championed and encouraged this sweet mom through the last few years. As we were talking, she said that there had been many conversations about how to, "Pray for big things. Expect that God can do it, even a car." Another friend also chimed into that conversation to say that, "If a car is what you need, God can provide it. Pray specifically for a car that is reliable enough to get you where you need to be." Our client wrestled with this big prayer. Was it selfish or materialistic to ask God for something like a car?

A few weeks later we gathered at the tax office to watch her receive the keys to a new-to-her, low mileage, reliable Toyota. Five days later, she wrote us to say,

“I just wanted to thank you again for the amazing gift of the car—I can’t express enough how much it’s meant to me. We’re loving it so much, and it’s a huge relief to know I no longer have to worry about whether or not my car will start. Since having reliable transportation, I’ve been able to sign my daughter up for cheer class and she’s also joined Girl Scouts! It’s such a weight off my shoulders.”

What a reminder that our God hears, sees, and cares about our specific needs, whether they be big or small. He's a good Father, who loves to give good gifts.

How did God answer this sweet sister’s prayer? Through many of you! You donated the funds that allowed OnRamp to purchase this Toyota out of Colorado. You gifted the money to pay for repairs both before donation and for the next year of her support. And you donated to cover the salaries, insurance, and logistics for the OnRamp team to make all of this possible. We are so, so grateful that you allowed God to use you to answer this woman’s sincere prayer!

If you’d like to support our ministry AND have a great evening of fun with your family, tickets are now on sale for our April 5th Drive with OnRamp at TopGolf. All proceeds from the event and the silent auction will go directly to local families in need of reliable transportation. Whether you’re looking for a family night out, a fun time with friends, or a date night, this is the perfect opportunity. Click HERE to buy tickets.

Client 219: Navy Veteran Walking 8 Miles a Day

Our 219th client, who will remain anonymous, is an honorably discharged Navy veteran who lives in Brenham. This single mom of two children, one with special needs, exemplifies one of the essential characteristics we look for in all OnRamp clients: willingness to work hard even before receiving a vehicle. Want proof? She got a job as a tax preparer, but it was four miles from home. So she has been walking eight miles a day, every workday, rain or shine, and that is with bad knees and through constant pain. She walked that eight miles a day last week when the temperature was in the 20’s!

No working mother should have to walk hours a day on top of working full time and raising her kids. Fortunately, her advocate at the Veterans Service Office in Washington County heard about OnRamp and nominated her to us. She applied, passed our interview, and was welcomed into our program. That’s when our partners at Brazos Valley Cares, a local veterans support organization, stepped in to donate $5,000 towards purchasing a vehicle for this worthy veteran. OnRamp doubled their gift and we purchased, repaired, and prepped a great Toyota sedan that we donated to her yesterday. Her first stop after the tax office was the grocery store. For the first time in months, she’d be driving her groceries home rather than walking all those miles with bags in tow!

Our founder, Blake (left), with this client’s advocate, Eric, who helps coordinate veteran assistance in Washington county.

Thank you to Joe Dewolf for finding the vehicle, Christian Brothers for prepping it, and, once again, Brazos Valley Cares for your generous and amazing partnership on this vehicle!

OnRamp's Future

“So you want to launch an OnRamp in your community? Here’s how!”

So begins one of the most important projects in our charity’s history. Over the last few years, so many charities, schools, and churches outside of the Brazos Valley have reached out to us to nominate hardworking people-in-need to our program. It grieves us to have to say, “we can’t serve you yet.” There are a few exceptions: OnRampDFW and OnRampCoastalBend can serve their respective communities, and our partners 3in1 Mechanical Ministries and Gods Garage can serve some in the Houston area. But outside of that, there’s no one. San Antonio, Austin, Waco/Temple… nothing. Tulsa, Kansas City, Denver, Washington DC… nothing. This should not be.

OnRamp hopes to inspire, train, and launch teams throughout the country to plant OnRamp ministries in their communities! To this end, we are working on the following:

1. Build a Launch Playbook, a single repository of all the policies, procedures, documents, trainings, and assets needed to launch a new OnRamp anywhere. We hope to have version 1.0 complete in the next six weeks. We may even train an AI virtual assistant to help new OnRamp volunteers use this extensive resource!

2. Host our first (hopefully annual) All-OnRamp Conference, inviting the DFW, CB, and 3in1 teams mentioned above to join us in College Station for a weekend of encouragement, prayer, training, problem-solving, planning, and resourcing.

3. Launch an OnRamp National organization to carry this expansion work forward. I (Blake) will likely dedicate more and more of my time to this effort. I hope to catalyze the launch of OnRamp-type ministries throughout the U.S. in this next phase of my life :-)

OnRamp Launch Playbook version 1.0 coming together fast!

What is needed to make this dream a reality. First, prayer. We need something only God can provide: passionate, Christ-following volunteer leaders in each community we hope to expand to. These volunteer leaders don’t need to know much about cars, but they do need to love people-in-need. They would be our boots-on-the-ground in each location to help identify, screen, and serve clients, raise funds, coordinate with local charities and churches, manage the books, and coordinate with our national office. If you know of potential people like that, particularly in the San Antonio, Austin, Temple, Waco corridor, please let us know!

Second, we will need a few philanthropic “venture capitalists” to help get the national office off the ground. We don’t want this expansion effort to take ANY funds that currently go to our Brazos Valley OnRamp ministry. There are still so many deserving, hard-working clients to serve here! So this would be a new investment, ideally from people who want their charitable giving to make a national impact that will outlive them. I’m talking about people who think like venture capitalists, but are willing to trade monetary profit for eternal impact. My shoot-the-moon hope: a few of these philanthropic venture capitalists would commit together to donate $250k a year for three years to launch OnRamp National. Maybe that’s a pipe dream… but just imagine the impact for Jesus we could have if the 220 clients we’ve served in His name in the Brazos Valley were replicated in every city in Texas… or even every city in the United States. Tens of thousands of families struggling to get to work, the doctor, or their kids to school would suddenly have HOPE provided in the name of Jesus. That seems like a worthwhile dream to me! Let me know if you agree.

Client 217: In Her Own Words

Last week, we gifted a car to our 217th client, a sweet young woman from Madison County named Hailey (on the right in the picture above) who works as a Special Education Paraprofessional in her local school district. Here’s her story in her own words…

I try to keep my struggles private, but this is too good not to share.

Back in August, my car broke down, leaving me with no vehicle to take my younger siblings to school or get to work. This caused a lot of tension with work and my family because I was very much having to rely on borrowing their vehicles to get to work. The car I was now driving was unreliable and it scared me half to death anytime I had to drive it further than 5 miles.

At a birthday party, my sweet Amber (her advocate, to the left in the picture above) briefly mentioned this organization called OnRamp and I told her I would look into it (but my forgetful self never did). A couple weeks later, she hit me with the “please don’t be mad at me…“ and told me that she had nominated me for OnRamp! I panicked and instantly started researching.

I discovered that OnRamp is an incredible organization that assists individuals whose circumstances weren’t favorable enough to have a vehicle. They provide support to help these individuals continue to succeed and grow by alleviating that burden.

I filled out the application and a couple weeks later I go through and complete the interview process. I knew God had good intentions with this whole experience when we got to the final question in the interview. The interviewer asked me, “How can I pray for you?” When I tell you I CRIED like a baby, I am not exaggerating. I could feel the tension and struggle lift off my shoulders.

We waited a couple weeks and I finally heard back saying that I was accepted to receive a vehicle! I just had to wait for them to find the perfect vehicle. Last week, it finally was found!

Today, we drove to the courthouse to meet the OnRamp founder and one of his awesome volunteers, and he gave use the keys to my brand new (to me) car!! He asked me where the first place I was going to drive my new car to was, I panicked and said “to sonic to get a drink with my sister” Well let me tell you, that was the best Diet Coke I’ve ever had because I drove my new car to get it!!

Today, I was met with so much generosity, which showed me that there are still kind and compassionate people in our world. I am truly blessed by OnRamp, Amber, my momma, and everyone else who is always there to help and support me.

Our clients are some of the most deserving, most inspiring people we know. If you’d like to help us serve more wonderful women like Hailey, please consider participating in our upcoming Drive with OnRamp fundraiser April 5th at Top Golf! We are looking for businesses and private donors to help us raise $60,000 through purchasing bays at this event. See the sponsorship menu below. By underwriting a bay, you enable us to gift reliable vehicles to more hard-working local clients this year.

All sponsorships include publicity for businesses in social media and print. Gold and silver sponsorships include one or two bays along with dinner and play for you and your family, friends, or staff. Bronze sponsorships include publicity but not bays. If your business, church, organization, family, or friend group can sponsor one or more bays, please email Stephanie Mason at StephanieM@onramptx.org. And please spread the word to others. We hope to have sponsors for all 60 bays!

Finally, if you our your business can donate an item to our silent auction for this event, please let email Stephanie at the address above. We’re looking for gift certificates to great restaurants, unique experiences, autographed sports memorabilia, fun household items, fine beverages, jewelry, service credits, and more.

A Belated Christmas Gift for Colton

OnRamp staff and volunteers gather to pray over Colton and Chrysta before gifting their van.

Yesterday, God moved a mountain for thirteen-year-old Colton and his heroic aunt Chrysta. Colton was born with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, cortical blindness, severe spasticity, epilepsy, and seizure disorder, which has left him nonverbal and non-mobile. Tragically, Colton's mom, Jennifer, passed away in 2021 from Stage 4 Cancer. Chrysta then stepped in and adopted Colton, and now serves as his caregiver. Due to Colton's severe health issues, Chrysta needs to transport him to Houston often for specialized care, but they lacked a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, making these trips nearly impossible. Unfortunately, these vehicles are incredibly expensive and beyond what Chrysta could afford.

This is where OnRamp comes in. Rusty Surette at KBTX shared this need with the community, and concerned citizens sent it to us. We invited Cheryl, one of Colton’s nurses, to nominate this deserving family to our ministry. We interviewed Chrysta and were so impressed with her selfless service and her willingness to put her own life on hold to care for her nephew, that we committed to raise the money, whatever it took, to buy her a wheelchair ramp van.

Colton trying out his new van!

This is where Bryan/College Station enters the story. We expected this campaign to take months since these vehicles are so expensive. Instead, it only took a few weeks! Over 100 local donors stepped up to provide more than $20,000 to meet this need. With that money, OnRamp found a mint-condition Honda Odyssey ramp van in Colorado with only 23,000 miles on it, and the seller cut us a great deal! Fun story: the guy who helped us buy the van is an Army vet and to get the van fully serviced for Colton, he took it by the Air Force Academy garage which volunteered to do all the required work at a massive discount. It was great to see Army and Air Force linking arms to serve this sweet family!

Yesterday, we had the privilege of gifting this van to Chrysta and Colton in front of their family, supporters, and friends. As always, we also gift maintenance support for their first year of their ownership along with ongoing prayer and resourcing. We are so grateful to see how God worked through us and through you all to meet this critical need faster than we ever expected. Thank you for caring for Colton! Thank you for supporting OnRamp!

Note that this is OnRamp’s 216th client to receive a free vehicle. All pictures and details shared with client’s permission. To donate towards the next hard-working clients awaiting vehicles, visit our Give page.

KBTX News January 28th 10pm story about Colton’s donation.

First Donation of 2025!

Today we completed our first vehicle donation of 2025… and our 214th client so far!

We are keeping this client’s identity private, but want to celebrate God’s graciousness. A local family had this very low mileage Buick Enclave just sitting in their driveway after the elderly owner no longer needed it. Rather than sell it, they donated it to OnRamp, which allowed us to bless this client far beyond expectations. This vehicle is soooo nice! Leather, power-everything, smooth as butter on the highway, roomy, and less than 50,000 miles. God didn’t have to provide something so nice; but He did because He loves to give His kids nice things :-)

We are praying for our biggest year ever in 2025, both here in the Brazos Valley and throughout Texas. If you or someone you know has a vehicle no longer being utilized by an older family member, please consider donating it to OnRamp, or selling it to us at a reduced price so we can bless more hard-working local clients in need of reliable transportation. For details, click here.

2024 By The Numbers

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1

2024 has given us at OnRamp so many reasons to give thanks to the Lord! Here’s a look at the impact He’s allowed all of us to make this year:

• 41 hardworking new client families received vehicles, along with 12 months of maintenance and pastoral care to help them thrive.

• 67 children benefited from these vehicles, making it possible for them to attend school, access medical care, and stay connected with loved ones.

• 22 single mothers were empowered with free vehicles, helping them provide for their families and build a brighter future.

• Our new branch in Victoria, TX proudly served its first three clients, extending our reach and impact to even more communities.

• Our OnRamp DFW affiliate served 15 new client families, their biggest year ever, and added their first staff member.

Thank you to everyone who made this year a success. We couldn’t have done it without your support! Let’s keep the momentum going in 2025 so that more and more Texans can experience God’s grace through the tangible gift of reliable transportation.

Our hope in 2025, Lord-willing, is to see OnRamp expand to new geographic areas such as Austin, San Antonio, and Waco. May it be so!

Client 213: A Survivor Overcomes

This brave mom (name withheld for safety) and her two young daughters fled domestic violence earlier this year and arrived in Bryan/College Station to build a new life. They moved in to Twin City Missions’ shelter and participated in their housing program, but didn’t want to stay there for longer than necessary. Even though this mom has been through severe trauma, she simply won’t give up. She now works 13 hour days plus weekends to provide for her girls, and as a result, they’ve been able to move into an apartment of their own. However, she has no vehicle and no family to rely on, which has made life incredibly challenging.

Her case manager at Twin City Mission noticed this mom’s desperate need for a reliable car, and so, nominated her to OnRamp. Her case manager shared how impressed she was with this mom’s honesty, hard work, and faithfulness to attend peer support group meetings every week even without a car to drive there. This is precisely the type of client we look for, and we immediately accepted her into our program. How could we say ‘no’ to a survivor like her?!

Last week, we gifted a reliable Honda Civic to this deserving mom and her daughters. When asked what she was most looking forward to doing with the new car, she said, “Take my girls to the park!” When you don’t have a car and Uber costs an arm-and-a-leg, discretionary trips like taking your kids to the park become a luxury mom’s can’t afford. She couldn’t wait to take her girls to Central Park for the first time to see the Christmas lights.

There are so many more deserving, hard-working parents like this in need of reliable vehicles in 2025. Can you help us serve them by making a year-end donation to OnRamp? We have a matching gift of $13,000 provided by two long-time donors. Please help us claim this matching gift by donating to OnRamp HERE between now and the end of the year. Every dollar helps transform lives for generations to come.

Client (in blue) with her advocate (middle) surrounded by (from left), OnRamp board member, Rami, Client Care Director, Taylor (with just one of her triplets!!), Prayer Team lead, Diane, and President, Blake.

Pictures and story shared with client permission.

Looking into the Future: Robotaxis

What does the future hold for automotive charities like OnRamp? I’ve spent a few days researching that question and crunching numbers, and the results may surprise you. We may be a charitable fleet of robotaxis in the not too distant future! Let me explain.

In the chart below, you’ll see a comparison of total costs over five years for two main options OnRamp may have in the future: continuing to gift a vehicle to a client vs. subsidizing a rideshare program such as Uber or Lyft. The costs for donations and repairs all reflect current 2024 numbers in our charitable program, through 212 vehicles donated so far.

Not surprisingly, the winner completely depends on client miles per year and cost per mile in the rideshare option because in that option, total price is 1:1 (highly) dependent on those two variables. Current national rideshare average cost is $2.40 per mile with Uber and Lyft, and BCS is a bit higher because trips are short and supply of rideshare vehicles is low. I calculated an average of $3 per mile over a set of sample Bryan/College Station trips. At that price, the rideshare option is a non-starter, costing multiple times our current program costs to donate and support vehicles. Note that the costs are totaled for five years rather than one year since our plan has always been to give 5 years of reliable transportation to our clients. Typically the donated car is used up and worth next to nothing at the end of that time, which is why I have not included it as an asset to sell at the end of five years.

But here's where it gets interesting. Tesla has stated that their autonomous taxi will cost $.30-40 per mile as a rideshare fleet vehicle. That's staggeringly low, even beating public transport per mile. For some safety margin, let's double that cost to $.80 per mile. The rideshare option actually becomes quite compelling for clients needing less than 10k miles per year. If Tesla actually succeeds at hitting $.40 per mile, I don’t see us ever giving a vehicle away again except in special circumstances such as very large families, work trucks, or wheelchair vehicles. To service most clients, we would simply provide free or subsidized rides through a fleet of autonomous robotaxis that we either own or lease.

So what do you think? Where am I off? What options or critiques would you add to the conversation?

And on that note, does anyone know anyone at Tesla who would want to discuss this? A partnership between Tesla and an automotive charity like OnRamp could help thousands of struggling individuals and families access essential transportation, and could create significant positive publicity for Tesla. There’s a real win-win opportunity here if we can ever get a foot in the door!

Hard Work Brings Success for Jae

Here is a massively encouraging success story for your lunchtime read! Jae has been an amazing OnRamp client this past year, and we want to update you on her progress now that she has her donated vehicle.

This single mom of three had done everything in her power to create a safe and flourishing home for her children even before getting her OnRamp vehicle. She completed Reach Project’s 28-week Entrepreneurship class and worked through Brazos County’s Family Self-Sufficiency program. That hard work motivated her mentor to nominate her to OnRamp for a minivan, which we gifted her one year ago.

What has she done with that vehicle? She’s completed two additional employment certifications which led to a substantial raise at work! She’s now a repair technician who changes the oil for all the CSISD buses we see around town. Before the vehicle, she was earning $2800 per month and needed government benefits to make enough to cover her bills. Now a year later, she earns $4000 a month in her new job; $5000 when overtime is authorized! She works every hour she can get, and as a result, is almost fully off of all government assistance. She has also enrolled in the Reach Project’s Home Ownership program to help her one day buy a home. The OnRamp van gets her to classes and to work, and gets her kids to church every Sunday. Speaking of her kids, with that raise at work, she’s been able to open a savings account for her kids to go to college! She’s using this vehicle to unlock a new and better future for her kids, and she’s taking great care of this investment by attending OnRamp’s Car Care Clinic to learn how to maintain her vehicle and ensure it lasts as long as possible. In the world of charitable work, you will rarely see such a high rate-of-return as this investment in Jae’s life!

To help OnRamp serve more clients like Jae, please consider donating to our Hand Up end-of-year campaign. And if you are one of the first to donate $500 or more, you will receive a *free*, exclusive Benjamin Knox Texas A&M puzzle as our thank-you! Here’s the link to the puzzle donation. This puzzle is perfect for the Aggie fan in your life. These limited-edition puzzles are available on a first-come, first-served basis until all 20 are claimed. Want to donate more than $500 and still receive a puzzle? Simply select “Custom Amount” while making your donation and enter any amount above $500. Spread holiday cheer and make a difference!

Happy Thanksgiving to Client 212!

Today we give THANKS for Willie, a 78-year-old widow in Bryan who just became OnRamp’s 212th client!

Willie is such a kind and loving woman. She sings in her church choir and serves with her Empty Nesters Sunday School class at First Baptist Bryan. After Willie’s husband died, she was left with significant financial challenges made tougher by her lack of a vehicle. She couldn’t reliably get to doctor’s appointments, church, the grocery store, and could not seek out a job to help supplement her fixed income. As her advocate, Jim, stated, “She wants to have the freedom to go back and forth without being a burden to others, especially her church - she loves her church and she loves to sing in the choir.”

Fortunately, Jim and the rest of her Sunday School class found out about OnRamp and nominated her to us. She was a slam dunk applicant! How could we not help this deserving woman?! So yesterday we gifted a beautiful blue Toyota Corolla to Willie, purchased with funds donated by many of you! Willie could hardly believe how God had so thoughtfully provided for her, and couldn’t wait to show her new wheels off to her Sunday School class.

Board and Vehicle Team member Rami Cerone showing Willie the features of her new Corolla.

As we enter into Thanksgiving, we invite you to give thanks with us for how God has used and continues to use OnRamp to care for widows like Willie. Who would have thought He’d allow us to donate reliable cars to over 200 Brazos Valley clients in just seven years?!

This is also the season when we, like all charities, need to raise most of our annual budget. If you can make a year end gift to OnRamp as part of our Hand Up campaign, please visit our GIVE page. You can donate online or by check, stock or RMD transfer, or by donating a used vehicle. Also, visit our new STORE to buy OnRamp shirts and hats to help us spread the word and connect with more supporters as we seek to grow throughout Texas.

Rami with Willie (center) and her advocate Jim (right).

Client 210: Devoted Daughter, Wife, and Grandmother

Denise and Ruben, a very loving, very grateful couple!

Denise, our 210th OnRamp client, epitomizes the HAND UP concept. She has already been doing the heavy-lifting for years. In addition to working full time as a delivery driver at a local flower shop, she provides primary care to multiple family members suffering major health challenges. She took care of her mother who was disabled due to a major stroke. After her mom passed away, Denise continued to care for her elderly father who now lives with her and requires frequent medical care and doctor visits. She also helps to care for her multiple grandchildren. She and her husband Ruben carried these burdens together until, tragically, Ruben suffered a major stroke earlier this year, leaving him unable to walk, drive, or work. After he lost his job due to the stroke, the family had to let go of their vehicle because they could no longer afford the payments. Denise was left as the sole caregiver without the essential tool of a vehicle to keep her family afloat.

Fortunately, Sara, her manager who has known her for years, nominated her to OnRamp. Sara told us, “Denise is a very giving person… She has worked at Aggieland Flowers for about four years as our delivery driver and does the best job of anyone who we have ever had for this position. She is beyond trustworthy and responsible… She has been juggling coming into work and taking care of her husband with his rehabilitation, [yet] still makes it into work every day and helps her family and friends without complaint.” How can we not dig deep to give a HAND UP to a woman such as her?!

Thanks to generous OnRamp donors, we were privileged to give this reliable Toyota Corolla to Denise last week, the 40th Corolla OnRamp has donated so far! Unfortunately, we are running very low on funds and have multiple more women like Denise in need of our help. As we near the end of 2024, can you give, whether a little or a lot, to help us give an essential HAND UP to more clients like her? To donate online or by check or stock/fund, please visit our GIVE page.

A 3-Part Post-Election Prayer

It is November 6, 2024, the day after Donald Trump secured another presidential term. Here is a three-part prayer that covers us all today.

For our friends who are grieving the results of last night’s election or fearing what legislation might come next, may God grant peace in abundance. May he show himself a strong comforter and faithful father today.

For our friends who are celebrating the results of last night’s election, may God grant perspective to see those who are hurting and have compassion upon them. May they have humility and grace in victory today remembering that love matters infinitely more than politics.

And for all of us, may we give thanks that we had the opportunity to vote in what seems to have been a free and fair election without persecution. That is not true in so much of the world, and not something to be taken for granted. Most important of all, may we now refocus ourselves on the critical task ahead: sacrificially loving and serving others, especially the hurting and vulnerable, the poor and oppressed. This is our calling no matter who is in office.

A Hand Up: Jamie's Amazing Progress

Here’s a truly inspiring update on our 57th client, an amazing single mom named Jamie who received a Honda from OnRamp in 2021. Since then, she has used this vehicle to accomplish so much for herself, her kids, and her church community. Here’s the highlights:

1.  2021 - It faithfully got me to and from my job, church, and Celebrate Recovery program. It allowed me to get a better paying job a little further from my home and serve as the women's ministry leader at Celebrate Recovery. 

2.  2022  - It allowed me to start a small party rental side business and continue to serve at Celebrate Recovery. 

3.  2023 - It drove me to and from Chemo and a plethora of doctor visits while I underwent breast cancer treatments and continued to work and serve in my recovery program. And by God’s grace, I am now CANCER FREE!!

4.  2024 - It has continued to bless our family and helped me move to a new house as I continue to serve as ministry leader at Celebrate Recovery.

The Honda we gave Jamie back in 2021 provided the HAND UP she needed to build a stable foundation for herself and her kids; a foundation strong enough to survive cancer. Best of all, God is now using Jamie to give that same HAND UP to other women in need through her leadership and service with Celebrate Recovery at Grace Bible Church. Listen to what one of the women Jamie mentored has to say about her…

I LOVE Jamie with EVERY OUNCE of my being! She is my sister in Christ and sponsor for life. We met three years ago through an amazing ministry called Celebrate Recovery. She took me under her wing and helped rescue me. She walked with me through the very darkest moments of my second divorce because she had been where I was. The Lord used her to speak truth into my life when all I was believing were lies about myself. She told me I was BRAVE, and I believed her. I GOT the amazing privilege of being there when she picked up her FREE car. I believe in the OnRamp ministry and I believe in her!

When you give to OnRamp, you are making an eternal investment in the lives of people like Jamie. You are giving them a HAND UP in their moment of need so that they can give a HAND UP to others in the future. Your generosity propagates through generations like ripples in a pond.

If you’re ready to give a HAND UP to other women like Jamie, please visit our GIVE page and make a monthly or one time investment in this vital ministry.

A Hand Up

This is client 168, to whom we gifted a vehicle eleven months ago. We are keeping her identity private, but can share that this young single mom was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her child’s father. She moved to BCS to find safety and to enroll in college and pursue a degree in nursing. She’s involved in her church and committed to growing as a mother, which is how she connected with her advocate who trained her in parenting skills. When we asked her what she was looking most forward to with her new car, she said taking her son to the park to ride his bike and to the library to read books. Until then, these were, in her words, “luxuries” she couldn’t afford due to the high cost of Uber. Now she and her son visit the park and library regularly. She’s making measurable progress towards a college degree and a good paying job. They get to church and to the doctor whenever they need. OnRamp’s hand up has made life for this deserving mom and her son “abundantly better”!

This fall, we’re doing something different. We’re thrilled to kick-off "A Hand Up: OnRamp Stories of Triumph." We always share our clients' “before” stories - what life was like before they received their OnRamp vehicle. But we rarely share the incredible “after” stories - how their lives were transformed through the gift of a car. So each week for the next couple of months, you’ll hear about the profound impact that reliable vehicles have made in the lives of our dedicated clients over the years. This is more than just a campaign; it’s a celebration of resilience, growth, and the power of transformation.

Join us as we unveil these inspiring journeys, and stay tuned for updates to the dedicated page on our website that showcases these remarkable stories. Let’s honor the hard work and triumph of our clients together. And if you feel led by these stories to help us assist more clients like this young mom, please visit our GIVE page and make a monthly or one-time gift.

Double your Impact TODAY Only

TODAY is your chance to DOUBLE the impact of your giving through Brazos Valley Gives. OnRamp has secured $18,500 in promised matched funds for this event, meaning that every dollar given up to that amount is instantly doubled! Through early giving, we’ve already received $4,499, which when doubled, amounts to $8,998. This leaves $14,001 in unclaimed match which we hope to raise TODAY.

Let us put these numbers into perspective. If you donate $25, that becomes $50, enough to provide an Uber or Lyft gift card that will keep a struggling client employed while OnRamp repairs their vehicle. Donate $150 and OnRamp will receive $300, enough to buy a full set of new tires for a local family currently driving on dangerously worn out tires. Donate $500 and we’ll have $1000 to pay for a major repair to a client’s vehicle. Or donate $4,000 and we’ll receive $8,000, enough to buy a reliable Toyota Corolla for the next client family in line! Your gift, when doubled, can go twice as far to keep local families on the road to self-sufficiency.

Please consider donating any amount to OnRamp before 11pm today by clicking the button below to visit Brazos Valley Gives to help us secure all matching funds.

Client 205: Making a Difference

In a world where kindness often goes unnoticed, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on our 205th client, Kirk Walters. His story is a beautiful testament to the power of generosity, and we believe it’s time for that same generosity to be returned to him.

Kirk was nominated by Andrew Eggman, the founder of Friendship Network, and our volunteers were truly inspired by their relationship and the mission behind this wonderful organization. Kirk’s journey is one of compassion and selflessness, making him a perfect fit for our support.

Kirk’s giving spirit is recognizable from the moment you speak with him. He first crossed paths with Andrew while volunteering at the local Food Bank, where he quickly made a lasting impression. Living with a close friend who needs 24/7 care, Kirk dedicates his time to caring for others, often putting their needs before his own. With no family nearby, he fills his days with community service, spreading the message of Jesus and uplifting those around him.

During his interview with us, Kirk shared his dreams of returning to college to study biblical apologetics, with aspirations of pursuing a master’s degree in ministry. His commitment to learning and serving others reflects his deep-rooted belief in making a difference in the lives of those in his community.

Kirk’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. In 2016, he suffered a traumatic injury that tested his faith and resilience. However, through it all, Kirk’s faith never wavered. Today, he is almost fully recovered and gives all the glory to the Lord for his healing. This renewed strength has ignited a desire in him to contribute even more to his community.

Now, with the help of our donors and supporters, Kirk is ready to take the next step. We believe that providing him with a vehicle will offer him the freedom he needs to further engage with his community and continue his mission of generosity.

To help us serve more clients, like Kirk, consider giving to OnRamp through Brazos Valley Gives here: https://www.brazosvalleygives.org/organization/onramptx

Client 204: ‘An Inspiration to Everyone’

With so many people in need, who should we choose to help? At OnRamp, we focus on helping those who are already doing all they can with what they have to provide for themselves and their children; people like Veronica, our 204th client. This single mom of five enrolled in the Brazos Valley’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) to complete her GED so she could pursue a better job. She distinguished herself, proving highly motivated. Her teacher and OnRamp advocate, Fabi Payton, says that her, “greatest strength is her resilience. Her ability to persist and overcome obstacles is truly remarkable, driven by her unwavering determination to provide a better life for her children. Her perseverance and commitment serve as an inspiration to everyone around her.” That’s why we chose Veronica and her kids to receive our next vehicle, a 2012 Odyssey minivan! Now she will no longer have to spend $200 per week (!!) on Uber to get her kids to daycare and herself to work. That is 30% of her income instantly freed up to build her savings and prepare a better future for her kids. And speaking of Uber, can you imagine having to lug your kids and their car seats in and out of a different Uber vehicle twice a day everyday while working a full-time job and cooking and cleaning for all those kids on your own?! This single mom was doing the work! She just needed a little help from us at OnRamp to ease her burdens and empower her to provide all her kids need. We could not have found a better client!

Veronica with her advocate, Fabi (left), and with our President, Blake (right). She was all smiles to get her Odyssey!

If you are burdened by the suffering of the needy in our community but don’t know who or how to help, please consider supporting OnRamp through a monthly or one-time gift. We cannot support families like Veronica’s without the generosity of donors like you.