We knew this day would come, we just didn’t know when or who our 100th client would be. Now we do. Yesterday, a single mom raising her young son and taking care of her ailing mother, received this low mileage Mazda sedan from OnRamp. She’s asked for anonymity, but has given us permission to share her story. When the pandemic hit, her hours were cut at work and, like so many parents living paycheck-to-paycheck, she needed help to pay bills. There was no money left to afford a car. As a result, she struggled to get to work, take her son to school, and get her mom to essential doctor visits. What you should know about this young mother is that despite the strain of caring for both an older and younger family member while working a full-time job, she still made time to volunteer with the local food bank to serve families in even greater need. The heart and hard-work of so many of our clients continues to amaze us! Would I add volunteering on top of a full time job, raising my son solo, caring for my mom, and just trying to survive paycheck-to-paycheck? Or would I make the excuse that I’ve got too much responsibility on my plate to help anyone else? This client, and many of our clients, put me to shame. They give out of their poverty of time and resources, like the widow at the temple Jesus commended for giving all she had.
It is fitting that our 100th client asked for privacy. You don’t need her name or picture, for she is representative of the majority of the 100 clients God has allowed us to bless in our short history (4.5 years so far). Most, like this woman, are our brothers and sisters in Christ laboring to raise their families and serve their community while struggling with needs most of us can’t imagine. OnRamp exists to partner with these families to help them on the path to self-sufficiency by sharing the grace of God in the form of a reliable vehicle. Thank you so, so much to all the volunteers, donors, advocates, and especially clients who have gotten us this far!
We can’t wait to celebrate with hundreds of you at our 100th Client Milestone Celebration on April 30th at noon at Central Church. Free Chuy’s lunch on us! If you haven’t RSVP’d please do so ASAP so we can get an accurate headcount. Here’s the link to the EVITE.
Huge thanks to Ginny and Bettye who took the lead on this client’s interview. Thank you Myles for finding the vehicle and Christian Brothers for prepping it. Thank you Susan and Mary for great pictures and video! And thank you Brazos County Tax Office - your service and professionalism were a big part of getting us to this milestone!
