OnRamp Client Care Director, Taylor Carlson, and Operations Director, Stephanie Mason, getting the Civic ready for donation.
I cannot imagine a better reason for why OnRamp exists than our 203rd client, a young family from Haiti. This husband and wife, whose identity we are keeping private, left Haiti and moved to town so that he could begin graduate school at TAMU. She worked as a nurse PRN, and between their salaries, they were fully self-sufficient. They had a reliable vehicle of their own and used it to regularly attend First Baptist College Station. Then, with joy, they found out that she was pregnant with their first child. However, the pregnancy brought serious health complications, which forced her to step down from her job. They had to get rid of the car. Then their son arrived very premature and needed almost three months in NICU. The family’s financial stability collapsed as bills piled up. While her husband could ride a bicycle to school, without a car, this new mom couldn’t return to work and had to pay exorbitant Uber and Lyft prices to get herself and her newborn to doctor appointments and the grocery store. There were no nearby family members to rely on. They desperately needed help, as would any of us in their situation.
That’s when their church nominated this deserving mom to OnRamp. As her advocate says of her, “As I have gotten to know [her] over the past several years, and even closer following the birth of her son, I have seen her passion for Christ, her family, and for others, and her ability to work to overcome challenges… Having a vehicle will allow [her] to return to work. As a PRN, she is capable of serving others through the healthcare industry. In addition, she will be able to bring her family back to church on a regular basis.”
In God’s gracious timing, this family’s need coincided with the second annual Wheels | Watches | Whiskey event put on by our good friends Michael and Jennifer Satterfield. Through the generosity of those in attendance, donating funds and bidding on OnRamp’s silent auction, we raised over $10,000 for this client’s vehicle! We were able to purchase a nearly perfect Honda Civic found by our own Joe Dewolf in Colorado (where we purchase most of our vehicles), bring it to Texas, get it prepped by Christian Brothers and Discount Tire, and then gift it to this mom and her family on Monday. She could not stop giving thanks to God as we waited our turn at the tax office!
We are so, so grateful to bless this dear family. Their son now has easy access to the doctor. This mom and dad have access to church. This hard-working woman can restart her career and help provide for her family. A hand-up at the right moment put them back on track towards long-term self-sufficiency and success. Thank you so much for helping make this possible!
OnRamp found this low mileage 2012 Honda Civic in Colorado, where we buy most of our vehicles due to their lower prices and better condition than many Texas cars. Colorado doesn’t use salt on their roads, doesn’t have hurricanes, and hasn’t experienced the population boom that’s pushing up used car prices in Texas.