Last Friday, OnRamp donated our third vehicle in Victoria, Texas to a woman named Elizabeth. We are thrilled that all the money for this vehicle and its maintenance was raised by our Victoria team, which has now grown to eight dedicated volunteers! God is working in the Coastal Bend to raise up a self-sustaining, local OnRamp ministry of their own, and we couldn’t be more pleased. As Shirley Buckert Vaughn, the leader of this volunteer team put it so well, “People need a way to get back in the game and I want to help people as long as the Lord will let me.”

Elizabeth proved herself a hard worker. As her employer puts it, “She’s been a dedicated employee. I’ve seen employees come and go and I just knew based on her work ethic that she was a hard worker.” Unfortunately, without a vehicle of her own, Elizabeth was spending over $300 a month on taxi service to get to and from work, and that was with a substantial charity discount from the taxi company. And that only got her to work; not to the store, church, or family. A reliable vehicle is an absolute necessity in Victoria.

*Shirley Buckert Vaughan (left), team leader of OnRamp Coastal Bend, with Elizabeth (center) and her advocate, Carla Ragsdale (right) pose with Elizabeth's new car.*

That’s why OnRamp Coastal Bend stepped in. Elizabeth was nominated and passed her application and interview with flying colors. Once the team had raised $10,000, she was gifted an excellent Toyota Corolla (our most frequent car to donate) and will now receive ongoing support for the next twelve months. With the money raised, OnRamp will pay for any maintenance on the car for the first three months and then will cover 90% of the maintenance cost for the next nine months, giving Elizabeth time to save up and make progress. As Shirley put it, “OnRamp is about so much more than just giving away cars, it’s about building relationships with people and giving them a hand up.”

Elizabeth says that getting this car is an answer to her prayers and is another goal she has accomplished on her journey. Now it will be easier for her to not only get to and from work, but to see her family, get more involved with her church, and further her education. She plans on completing her GED and working to become a paramedic. “I love to help people, big or small, and feel overwhelmed with joy to help others and give back.” We are blessed to add Elizabeth to the growing family of deserving OnRamp clients!

For the full story, check out this front-page article in the Victoria Advocate newspaper.