Last Friday we donated a Toyota Corolla to our 185th OnRamp client. For her safety, we cannot share her identity or circumstances (picture above is our staff and volunteer team, but the client is out of frame), but we can share two amazing stories about this particular car. First, how we paid for it… by selling the most unusual three-wheeler I’ve ever seen! A few months ago a Waco-area family donated this VW-powered custom creation they inherited from their dad, Garland, after he passed away in 2019. He was a police detective and then deputy constable for 46 years and a remarkably tall man, six foot, ten inches to be exact. Despite his intimidating size, he was a “gentle, gentle man” who would have loved to see his custom creation used for a good cause. It was, however, a bit challenging to sell given how tall a rider would have to be to operate the pedals. Rami and I could only ride it if one of us worked the handlebars while the other worked the pedals! Fortunately, another generous and rather tall couple saw Rami’s ad and fell in love with the bike, skulls and all! They bought it for a price that funded most of the purchase of this latest Corolla. We are so thankful to Josh and Shannon Tetens who donated the bike to OnRamp to sell!
Told you he was tall! Here’s Garland (original owner) vs. Rami on the custom 3-wheeler before we sold it.
Second story: here’s what happened when we bought the car. Rami and I found this Corolla from a repeat seller in Houston, a kind young Iranian man who’s sent us great vehicles. After inspecting and test driving the car and closing on a price, he told us that our ministry with OnRamp had so inspired him over the years that when he met an Afghan family in Houston who had no transportation, he rallied some friends and together they went out and bought a car and donated it to the family just like OnRamp does. That was without any support or direction from us… he just followed his heart to help others in need because he saw us do it first. That overwhelms me with hope. One good deed done in the name of Jesus can inspire others to do the same, even without fancy administrative systems and network of donors. Just a few kind people pooling their resources can sacrificially help a family in need. What a success!
In closing, if you would like to make a measurable difference in the life of local families in need, either consider donating to OnRamp or rolling up your sleeves like our friend in Houston and donating directly to impoverished individuals and families that God puts in your path. It will cost you - there’s no way around that. But nothing is more satisfying.
PS. For those who shop at Kroger’s you can designate OnRamp as your charity of choice and have a percentage of your purchases donated by Krogers to our charity. Simply visit https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards for instructions and enter “OnRamp” when choosing your charity.
