Client 179: Special Delivery to MD Anderson

A view I hope Wesley will never need to see again.

Last Friday will live long in my memory. We served our first client family from Victoria, TX, a community we hope will become one of our next OnRamp locations. However, we did not deliver the vehicle to this family in Victoria. The husband, Wesley, has been fighting aggressive cancer. He is now at MD Anderson in downtown Houston receiving chemo for THIRTY STRAIGHT DAYS. This was just his third day, and the pain in his body and on his wife, Tanya’s face, was already palpable. Tanya and Wesley were nominated by their long-time friend and supporter, Shirley, after their previous SUV broke down beyond repair. How could they possibly get 130 miles from Victoria to MD Anderson regularly without a reliable vehicle? How could they care for their three children without a vehicle? Shirley knew help was needed and, as soon as we heard the details of this case as well as the support available from Shirley and her church, Fellowship Bible of Victoria, we decided to take on the challenge of growing OnRamp in Victoria.

Little did we know during the interview process that by the time Tanya and Wesley’s vehicle was ready, they would be staying at MD Anderson long-term. They had no vehicle, so they were literally trapped at the hospital with their kids making due back home. So for the first time ever, we delivered a car to a Hospital. Joe Dewolf found us a mint Toyota Rav4, and Rami Cerone and I took it to Houston and parked it in one of MD Anderson’s MANY garages. They couldn’t come to us since Wesley was receiving his next round, so we took the parking slip and a picture of the parking spot to their room. For us non-medical folks, there is nothing as heavy on the soul as walking into a place like MD Anderson. You’re grateful for the brilliant minds and cutting edge treatment technology, but you grieve that anyone has to set foot in such a place… especially a husband and father like Wesley. After successfully navigating countless hallways (this place is the size of an airport), we gathered with Tanya and Wesley to sign forms and pray for God’s healing, for their kids’ protection, and for this little Rav4 to last them forever. I hate that I can’t take away Wesley’s cancer, but I celebrate that with the help of our donors, we were able to comfort this couple through the gift of a vehicle.

We also rejoice to see Shirley and Fellowship Bible Church love this family so well. The kids have started attending the church’s youth group and Shirley’s small group is helping provide meals while their parents are away. I am confident this pleases Jesus’s heart, and in His name I invite you to join us in praying for Wesley’s complete healing. May he leave MD Anderson healthy and whole, never to return.

If you would like to help OnRamp serve more deserving clients like Wesley and Tanya, please consider joining us at our Drive with OnRamp fundraiser March 23rd at 5pm at BigShots. Tickets are $50 each and include 3 hours of play and free dinner, and most of the proceeds got to OnRamp. You can buy one or more here: https://e.givesmart.com/events/Bsg/

We also have entire bays that can be bought for sponsorship by businesses, including play and dinner for 6-8 plus publicity from OnRamp. And if you have ANY silent auction items like gift certificates, fine drinks, collectibles, or anything else we could list, please let us know. For bay sponsorships and silent auction items, contact Stephanie at stephaniem@onramptx.org.

No Houston trip is complete without a quick fill-up at Buc-ee’s

Client 177: Redemption

You cannot spend time with Felecia, our 177th client, and not come away blessed. This single mom raising her three kids and one granddaughter exudes love and gratitude from the moment you meet her. Yet it was not always so. Felecia went through hell as a child and landed in dark places that could have ended her life. But Jesus redeemed her through the faithful years-long support of SOS Ministries and her advocate Jay Meador at the Financial Fitness Center. Here’s Felecia’s incredible story of redemption told two years ago in this SOS video:

Felecia is now on fire for the Lord. She’s moved from participant to leader at SOS Ministries. Our entire team was blown away by her perseverance and strength. She would do ANYTHING to provide for her family and bless her community.

However, Felecia’s ability to provide took a serious hit when her vehicle broke down. This was her only way to get to her job cleaning AirBNB houses. It was the only way to get her son to his school. It was the only way to get her kids, granddaughter, and ailing mother to the doctor. All of her progress was threatened by the loss of her vehicle.

Fortunately, Jay brought her to OnRamp and we accepted her without hesitation. Last week we were blessed to donate a Toyota Sienna to such a worthy woman of God.

As her good friend Jean Marie (pictured above behind Felecia) said of her, “Whatever she has, even if just a little, she will use it well to care for her family and for others. She always has her eyes open to care for other people around her, whether it’s convenient or not. That’s what excites me about this vehicle is knowing this is going to reach her community, her neighbors, her family.” It is SO rewarding to gift a vehicle to someone who you know will use it to bless her kids, her grandkids, and her neighbors throughout the community as she continues to serve with SOS Ministries. What an example of Jesus’ love!

If you’d like to help us keep this momentum going, please consider donating an item to our silent auction by emailing Stephanie Mason at stephaniem@onramptx.org. We would love to add tickets to sporting events or concerts, gift cards to nice restaurants, interesting drinks, or anything else that would help raise more funds for vehicles for clients like Felecia.

Maximizing Impact by Serving Other Charities

Two years ago, OnRamp launched a new program: gifting vehicles to other charitable organizations in need. So far, we have gifted reliable vans and SUV’s to four other charitable organizations serving at-risk clients, including two addiction recovery ministries (The Nest and Adult and Teen Challenge) and two homes for young adults who have aged out of foster care (Hope’s Path and Our Daughter’s House). These vehicles end up serving not one client, but dozens of clients, as these recent updates from two of these organizations demonstrate.

From Brandon, Executive Director of Hope’s Path:

Dear OnRamp,

I am writing to provide you with an update on the incredible impact that your generous donation of the Honda Odyssey van has had on Hope's Path over the past year. The van has truly been a game-changer for our ministry, allowing us to significantly enhance the services we provide to our residents (who we call interns).

Since receiving the van, we have been able to provide hundreds of rides to our interns, addressing their transportation needs effectively. These rides have been instrumental in supporting our workforce development program by ensuring that our interns have access to employment opportunities, job interviews, and important skills training sessions. Additionally, the van has enabled us to facilitate essential doctor's appointments and other mission-critical program needs, ensuring the overall well-being of our interns.

The impact of this donation on our ministry has been immense. By eliminating transportation barriers, we have been able to increase the number of young men we can serve at Hope's Path. As a result, we now have eight young men living on-site, and we are nearing our capacity. This significant growth in our intern population would not have been possible without the generous contribution from OnRamp.

It is difficult to express just how much the donation of this vehicle has meant to us. Transportation needs have been one of our biggest challenges in serving our guys, and your thoughtful donation has directly addressed this obstacle. The Honda Odyssey van has become an invaluable asset for our organization, allowing us to expand our reach and make a lasting impact on the lives of these young men.

On behalf of everyone at Hope's Path, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to OnRamp for the incredible support you have provided us. The van has been a tremendous blessing, and its impact on our ministry cannot be overstated. Your generosity has allowed us to continue our mission of providing a place of healing within a Christ-centered environment where young adults are supported, equipped, and empowered to lead successful independent lives.

We are truly privileged to have partnered with such a caring and socially responsible organization. We look forward to continuing this partnership as we strive to serve even more individuals and expand our services in the future.

Thank you once again for your faithful support.

From JoAnn, Executive Director of The Nest:

I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of blessing this Tahoe has been. Everything from street outreach with the homeless to transporting a single mother in treatment from San Antonio to Bastrop for visitation and ultimately reunification with her 5yr old daughter. This is God's chariot!

Your generosity to OnRamp enables us to serve dozens of at risk kids and adults through our partnership with charities like these. If you’d like to keep this work going, please consider making a financial donation to OnRamp by visiting our GIVE page, or joining us for our upcoming Drive with OnRamp event.

Client 174: A Model Client

We have noticed quite a few new subscribers to this newsletter. Thank you! We send these about once a week and alternate between client stories (like today’s), organization updates, volunteer spotlights, spiritual encouragement, and relevant news.

Today we are celebrating our 174th client, Cassie. This single mom of a kindergarten-age daughter has made incredible progress in the last few years, moving from homelessness to having a stable home, a full-time job, and an improving credit score. She participates in Jay Meador’s excellent Financial Fitness program, and impressed him enough to nominate her for a vehicle. As best we can tell, Cassie was yet another victim of a vehicle scam. The car she had spent her savings on turned out to be a flood car; it had been filled with mud at some point! Cars like that are often cleaned, put back on the road, and sold as solid. But the water and mud always get into the cavities of the body and into the wiring and eventually corrode or short out the vehicle. They never last long. So when her scam car finally failed her, she was left in a desperate situation unable to reliably get to work. Fortunately, when a generous local family donated a comfortable and reliable Toyota Avalon, we knew we had just what she and her sweet daughter needed.

Here’s what our volunteer Amy said about Cassie after interviewing her as part of the application process: “Cassie is a model client for who and why OnRamp exists. She has overcome challenges that most would succumb to. She is choosing to be an example to her daughter by her drive and determination. She is a thoughtful individual who is really working hard to better her life and to provide her daughter with a stable and loving upbringing. She isn’t afraid to put in the hard work and has big goals for herself and her future. I have no doubt that she will meet and exceed all of her goals!”

Cassie (second from left) with the amazing team that made this possible, from left, Rami Cerone on our Vehicle Team, Amy Loggins on our Client Care Team, and our Communications Director, Cassidy Somervill.

It’s not hard to see why we feel honored to partner with clients like Cassie on their journey towards self-sufficiency! After receiving her car on Valentine’s Day, she drove straight to Target to buy flowers for her daughter so she could surprise her after school in their new car.

If you’d like to support the work we do, please consider donating or volunteering with OnRamp. We are currently looking for businesses or individuals to sponsor bays at our upcoming Drive with OnRamp event at 5pm March 23rd at BigShots. Sponsorships are $1,100 and include play for 6-8 plus free dinner, and most of that money goes straight to OnRamp to help more clients like Cassie. If you can help, please email Stephanie at StephanieM@OnRampTX.org

What if?...

by OnRamp Communications Director, Cassidy Somervill

Cassidy and her youngest, Peyton.

OnRamp shares God’s grace by gifting reliable vehicles to hard-working people in need to partner with them on the road to self-sufficiency.

People ask about this mission frequently. Some people wonder why we would GIFT a vehicle. That’s a big gift! Some people say “Just work hard and you can take care of yourself. Why do you need OnRamp to do it for you?” 

But, what if you do work hard and it’s not getting you where you need or want to be? What if you were dealt the wrong cards in life? What if you have been struggling to get by even after showing up to work day after day? What if you have been applying to every job possible in your area and no one calls back? What if you have to choose between your light bill and putting food on the table for your family? What if?

There are so many “What If’s”, especially in the case of the clients and applicants who come through OnRamp’s program. But for our clients, these questions are not rhetorical; they are reality. 

Let me put you in an OnRamp client’s shoes for just a moment:

You wake up, make breakfast for the family, get the kids ready for school, and start to head out the door. But, what if you get all of the kids buckled in, you sit down in the driver's seat, turn your key and your car does not start. No, it’s not the battery, you can’t jump it. No, you’re not out of gas, you just filled up last night. Your car is dead. Now, you are stuck. You can’t get the kids to school, you can’t get to work. The day is done.

Oh, but you can call someone to help, right? But, what if you can’t? What if you are a single mother and cannot lean on a spouse or partner? Okay, well you can call a family member to rescue you, right? No, you just fled from your hometown to escape domestic violence, so that option is out the window. Can’t the kids catch the bus? No, you live 2 miles from school, and that means buses aren’t an option. Can’t you get an Uber? No, if you pay for Uber, you’ll have no money for dinner tonight. What about work? Today was going to be your first day in a new job, but because no one else can watch the kids and you can’t drive to work, you’ll miss that opportunity, just like all of the opportunities you have missed before. 

While this sounds awful, most of our clients have it even worse. Most don’t even have a broken-down car. Many don’t have a job lined up even after they have been searching, applying and interviewing. Many of our clients are starting from scratch. 

And many are going through battles behind the scenes that floor any of us.

What if… they just lost their mother two days before this.

What if… they just found out their landlord is selling their home next month, and they’ll have to uproot again.

What if… they just found out their child was diagnosed with an illness that only the best doctors out of town can treat… and they have no way to even get there?

These are not hypotheticals. We have served clients suffering from each of these hardships.

So to those who would say to our applicants, “Just work hard and you can take care of yourself” we want you to know, they are already working as hard as they possibly could. They are not asking for help because they are lazy. They work harder than most of us could possibly imagine. They aren’t asking for a handout. They are asking for a hand-up. They are asking for us to partner with them on their heroic journey to self-sufficiency.

Now, let’s flip this story around. Here’s what it CAN look like when OnRamp gets involved…

This single parent calls her mentor who has been leading her in a domestic violence support group. She tells her mentor what happened, and thankfully, this mentor knows about OnRamp. The mentor goes to our website, fills out a nomination form, and then the single mom fills out an application. We review it, we hear her story, we see her struggles. We accept her as a client. We help. 

With a reliable vehicle from OnRamp, her children are able to attend school. She is able to keep her job because she finally has the opportunity to punch in on time. She recieves ongoing support and resourcing from OnRamp staff and volunteers, including connection to a local GreifShare group to help her through the loss of her mom. When her child gets sick, OnRamp volunteers show her how to apply for assistance to pay for those medical bills. When her landlord sells the house, she is able to find new housing because she’s saved money thanks to OnRamp paying for her vehicle maintenance. By the grace of God, she stands. 

So, we invite you to consider: what if you were her? What If you needed OnRamp?

Sponsors Needed

Friends, we need more sponsors for our upcoming Drive with OnRamp event March 23rd at BigShots. We're looking for businesses, private donors, church groups, organizations, or anyone else who'd like to buy a bay or two so we can fill all 60 (18 sold so far). Price is $1100 per bay for 6-8 people and includes free dinner, two hours of play, and full use of the facility, plus publicity online and in print. The event should raise $40,000 to serve more families in desperate need of reliable vehicles. Please share this flyer with anyone who might be interested. Contact Stephanie Mason at stephaniem@onramptx.org if interested.

Client 173 and the African American Museum

Today we celebrate our 173rd client to receive a vehicle from OnRamp, and the first of 2024. LaRiya was nominated by a close friend and mentor at her church, Spirit of Faith, after the engine went out in her previous vehicle leaving her without any transportation. LaRiya works as an Assistant Special Needs Instructor at BISD, and is also the primary caretaker for her mother who has a number of health challenges. So why did LaRiya want a vehicle? In her own words, “A reliable vehicle could help me in so many ways like getting to and from work, doctor, church and multiple other places, and make it easier for me to obtain secondary employment. Also, it would make it easier for me to utilize local resources like going to the workforce and signing up for different work and education programs available in my area.” We love gifting vehicles to individuals who are already highly motivated, hard working, and committed to serving others! She was an easy ‘yes’! Thankfully, a family in Corpus Christi heard about OnRamp and decided to donate this mint 2015 Toyota Rav4. What a perfect gift for LaRiya, and what a tangible expression of Jesus’ love for His people!

In addition to celebrating LaRiya, we are also delighted to share that our Executive Director, Blake Jennings, will be an honoree at the Brazos Valley African American Museum’s 23rd Annual Appreciation Banquet. Throughout OnRamp’s history, we have remained deeply committed to celebrating diversity and supporting minority families. Half of the 172 local clients that have received vehicles from OnRamp are African American. The BVAAM has been an incredible asset to the Brazos Valley and to OnRamp, by providing community awareness, education, and deep respect for our African American community. We invite you to join us at this year’s banquet. Tickets and table sponsorships are for sale and details can be found HERE. Note that ALL proceeds go to keeping the lights on since there's no staff, just volunteers. Purchase of a table keeps the museum operational for about a week. And for context of WHY we need the BVAAM in our community, here's a picture of one of their exhibits: the sale documents of a 13-year-old African American girl named Margaret to a Robertson County man for $800. This is our history and it's essential that we face it.

Finally, we are opening up sponsorships for our 2nd annual "Drive with OnRamp" event the evening of March 23rd at BigShots. If you, your family, or your business would like to join us, you can buy a bay for up to 8 people for $1100 and it includes free dinner. Most of that money goes straight to OnRamp to help continue this ministry. Sponsors will receive publicity on our website, in socials, in our newsletter, and at the event. Please email us if you're interested!

Also, we're gathering silent auction items for this event. If you have gift certificates to fun restaurants, places and experiences, athletic-signed paraphernalia, fun household items, fancy drinks, jewelry type stuff, credits/certificates for services, etc. that you could donate to our auction, please email me!

Drive with OnRamp 2024

Our 2024 "Drive with OnRamp" event is coming up the evening of March 23rd at BigShots (or TopGolf if the name change goes through by then). We'll open general ticket sales soon, but are first looking for businesses and organizations who want to support our charitable work by sponsoring bays. Sponsorship levels and benefits are noted in the image below, and sponsoring businesses can choose to fill the bay(s) with their own people or have OnRamp fill the bay(s) by selling tickets. Food is included with bay sponsorship, as is publicity on our website, in socials, in our newsletter, and at the event. Please email me if you're interested!

Also, we're gathering silent auction items for this event. If you have gift certificates to fun restaurants, places and experiences, athletic-signed paraphernalia, fun household items, fancy drinks, jewelry type stuff, credits/certificates for services, etc. that you could donate to our auction, please email me!

Waiting For Healing

OnRamp is delighted to announce that God provided sufficient year-end giving to allow us to promote our Care Director, Taylor Carlson, to full-time status! As of January 1st, she’s now serving our clients full-time, helping them to thrive in every aspect of life, not just transportation. You can think of Taylor as a pastor to our clients, in a sense, coming beside them along with our volunteers to provide the resources, encouragement, growth, and love needed to take the next steps forward in life. Here’s how Taylor sees that process working, based on her insightful reading of John 5…

by Taylor Carlson, OnRamp Care Director

Recently, I was reading John chapter 5 and was struck by the story of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath. This story takes place at the pool of Bethesda, which was known to have healing waters. Scripture says that “an angel of the Lord went down into the pool at appointed seasons and stirred up the water; the first one to go in after the water was stirred was healed of his disease.” (John 5:4, AMP) John describes a crowd around the pool of those who were blind, lame, or paralyzed; withered and weary. The man in this story had been waiting for healing for thirty-eight years. That’s a long time to be in need. That’s a long time to continue believing healing is possible.

When Jesus saw the man, he asked him an important question: “Do you want to be healed?”

I love this question. It seems obvious. Of course, this man wants to be healed! He’s been waiting for over thirty years! But time and time again, even in today’s culture, we assume someone wants and needs our help. We offer it in whatever way we see fit, without considering if they are ready for that next step. I think this is an important distinction: their willingness to receive help.

The man answered Jesus saying that he had no one to help him into the pool of water, and that when he was trying to get into the pool, someone stepped in front of him. This man reminds me of many of our clients at OnRamp. They continue to believe that they can be helped, and they continue to believe that there are people who care. Even as they wait, work, and worry, sometimes without community or resources, they continue to believe. So many of our clients have been limited, through no fault of their own. In the midst of working toward their goals, our society, culture, or unexpected circumstances push them even farther back.

In this moment, Jesus doesn’t ask about the context. He doesn’t doubt the story or the circumstances. He doesn’t hesitate. He just heals the man. Instantly. “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once, the man walked. A few verses down, we see the man run into Jesus at the temple. Jesus then, after the man’s immediate physical needs were met, speaks to the spiritual need, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen...”

As Christians, I think we so often want to talk to people about Heaven, about their sin, and about our great Savior before they have ears to hear. When someone is sick, hurting, scared, hungry… those immediate needs are all they can comprehend. That’s why OnRamp tends to first meet clients’ practical needs like lack of transportation before getting into deeper spiritual needs. One opens the door for the other. Our care for clients goes far beyond a vehicle or oil change, but it often starts there, just as in Jesus’ ministry to this man in John 5.

What an honor and a privilege it is to walk alongside these remarkable clients, sharing the love of Jesus with them in practical ways. What a joy to help them find their way into the pool.

2023 Year in Review

2023 was our biggest year yet. The numbers below capture just a portion of the impact OnRamp has had in the lives of adults and children here in the Brazos Valley. Thanks to your generosity, we have blessed dozens of families with the essential gift of reliable transportation as a way of showing how Jesus' love meets real and specific needs. Thank you for empowering us to be a light in this community!

Last Client of the Year

As we prepare to bid adieu to 2023, we were privileged to get to slip in one final donation to a local single mom of two young children. She’s asked for privacy, but we can share how grateful she is to all of you donors and partners who enabled us to bless her and her children with this Corolla. This is our 172nd new client, and 44th this year.

And now for a quick update on our Supercharge your Impact campaign. Our goals were to double our monthly giving and raise $400,000 in one time giving during the final three months of 2023. As of today, we are 65% of the way to our monthly goal, having increased monthly giving from $6,000 to $9,927, and 77% of the way to our one-time goal, at $308,400 raised. If you are able, please help us reach these milestones by giving to OnRamp in the next few days.

Restoration

In November, we were horrified to learn that one of our former clients was assaulted while in Houston. She and her five children had received a minivan from OnRamp eighteen months ago. Fortunately, on the day of the assault, her kids were not with her. She had traveled to Houston for a medical appointment. While exiting a parking garage in the van, she saw a woman being beaten by two men. Our client actually leads a local domestic violence support group, so there was no way she wasn’t going to intervene. She stopped and let the woman into her car and drove away to a gas station down the road. Unfortunately, the assailants followed, grabbed both women, and beat them until they lost consciousness. They then stole our client’s minivan and drove away. She was taken to the hospital where she learned that the police found the van burned to the ground, a common tactic criminals use to destroy evidence. She did not have comprehensive insurance at the time, meaning that the vehicle was a total loss.

You are unlikely to find a more exact application of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. This dear sister in Christ had been beaten and bloodied and her most important possession stolen and destroyed. She was left without hope or recourse. Hospital bills were piling up, she’d missed days of work due to her injuries, and now she was left without transportation for her or her children.

As Jesus taught us, it is sin to close our eyes to such a need. With the gracious help of our donors, we found and purchased this lovely Honda Odyssey that we gifted to this courageous woman today as an early Christmas present. Yes, that’s an expensive gift! With repairs and tax included, this van cost OnRamp approximately $13,500. But the Good Samaritan did not hesitate to risk his life and hand his money to the inn-keeper to care for the beaten man. Neither should we. If you want to join us in this greatest-of-all ministries, restoring victims to wholeness and families to hope, please consider a monthly or end-of-year donation to OnRamp by visiting our GIVE page.

Client’s story shared with permission. Client’s name and pictures kept private at her request.

A Very Merry Christmas

OnRamp has been blessed beyond measure to play the role of Santa many times this past week. On Thursday, we donated yet another Toyota Corolla to Sierra, a local client who has waited so patiently for God to provide a reliable car for her and her family. Then on Friday, we headed to Brenham to donate another Corolla to a woman who has spent decades in the nursing and hospice fields, caring for patients at their most vulnerable moments. A car wreck left her in the hospital and without a vehicle. We were honored to gift this worthy woman a car that will empower her to continue her ministry to the sick and dying.

Sierra with Stephanie, our Operations Director, and Rami, our Head of Vehicle Acquisition. This ministry wouldn’t be possible without the two of them!

Next up, an accounting department at TAMU chose OnRamp to be the source of their Angel Tree giving! Here’s our office crammed with gifts for a dozen OnRamp families, bought, wrapped, and delivered by this generous group, all coordinated by Katherine McLelland, whose husband Austin helps manage Christian Brothers College Station and is, therefore, someone we get to work with all the time.

Finally, we found out that a local single mom of six kids didn’t have car seats for four of her kids, and couldn’t afford them. This could have led to serious injuries and a very big ticket if she got pulled over. Thanks to your generous donations (especially monthly giving) we rushed to Target and bought all the needed seats and delivered them that same day so she and her kids could drive safely wherever they needed to go.

As God taught us, this is a season for giving, especially to the vulnerable. We are so grateful to do this on your behalf!

As of today, all of the $25,000 in matching funds we mentioned a week ago has been matched! Thank you for that! We still have a ways to go on our Supercharge Your Impact campaign, and hope to raise another $150,000 in one time giving and $2000 in monthly giving before the New Year. Can you help us serve more families in the Brazos Valley with the tangible love of Christ? If so, please visit our GIVE page.

Client 169 and a Two-Step

Can you imagine being a single mom of young kids preparing for Christmas… without a vehicle? Need to get to the store? Too bad. Need to get to your child’s Christmas concert? Nope. Trying to hold down a job so you can pay end-of-year bills? Good luck even getting to work! I would wither under the weight they carry. That is why I am so grateful to have gotten to play Santa to two local single moms yesterday and gift them each a beautiful, dependable Toyota.

First up, Daneysja received a Sienna minivan big enough to fit all six of her children. We are so proud of this College Station mom for completing OnRamp’s two-step program. When we first interviewed her, she desperately needed a vehicle to be able to keep her job, but she did not yet have enough in savings to qualify for a top-tier vehicle from us. So we gave her a high mileage, temporary vehicle to buy her time to continue building her savings (step 1 of the 2 step). She kept that vehicle running, paying for repairs herself until her financial situation met our requirements. Then we replaced that worn out vehicle with this beautiful Toyota Sienna that should last her and her children many years to come (step 2). Her hard work and diligence earned her and her kids this newfound freedom and security!

Second, we gifted a Toyota Matrix to our 169th client, Shay, a single mom of a 3-year-old son. Her sponsor told us he’d never met a client with such perseverance and tenacity. When life knocked her down, she got right back up and kept pressing forward. She needed our help because she had lent her previous vehicle to a friend who wrecked it. Her liability insurance didn’t cover the damage and the friend didn’t replace the car, so she and her son were left without any transportation, and even the most basic errands became impossible. But she found ways to stay employed and build her savings and eventually qualified for this reliable hatchback that will serve her well. Waiting in the tax office line, she told us that she is most excited about having the freedom once again to take her son to the park whenever he wants to go. They haven’t been able to go in ages because she’s had no vehicle. I can’t imagine telling my son he can’t go to the park because I can’t get him there. May this vehicle bless her son with many sunny days in the park!

Daneysja and Shay are wonderful moms who deserve our help, and there are many more like them in our community. Can you help us continue this ministry to moms like them? During December we have $25,000 in matching gifts committed, meaning that if you give soon, your donation will be doubled until that commitment is fully matched. Please GIVE to help us finish the year strong so we can share Jesus’ love with many more amazing clients through the gift of reliable transportation.

Impact Update

We are entering the final month of our three month ‘Supercharge your Impact’ campaign, and it’s time for an update. We set two goals for this campaign. (1) Increase monthly giving from $6,000 to $12,000 per month. So far, we have raised 58% of that goal, with $9,487 committed monthly! (2) Raise $400,000 in total donations in the final quarter (October - December) of 2023. As of today, we have raised $186,701, or 47% of that goal! If you are able to make a monthly or year-end gift, please help us finish strong so we can share Jesus’ love with more clients than ever next year.

When you give to OnRamp, you are not just funding cars; you’re funding transformation. Check out this joyful update from a single mom of 2 young children to whom we gifted a car at the beginning of September…

This vehicle is beyond a blessing. [It] gave me the opportunity to better provide for my family and myself. Going from having a car for years then go through a very hard divorce while pregnant to losing that vehicle in a few months time span. What onramp gave to me was my life back. I can now take my kids to the grocery store, the park, zoo, anywhere their little hearts desire. But the biggest outcome of all was [that I was] able to land my dream job as a dental hygienist!

The car unlocked her potential to secure better employment and a more secure future for herself and her kids. This is what one of our long-time donors and board members, Megan Bock, wanted to help other donors understand about this ministry…

“Supporting OnRamp brings us immense joy because it's not just about transportation; it's about empowering incredible men and women. They're not just helping people get to work; they're helping them fulfill their roles as parents and community contributors. Witnessing this transformation, seeing individuals embraced with unconditional love, and then passing on that love to others — it's profoundly moving. OnRamp, to us, is a beacon of Christ's love in action, and partnering with them feels like I'm part of something much bigger, something truly transformative. Joining hands with OnRamp, I'm not just supporting a cause; I'm part of a movement that's making lives brighter and our world kinder. It's personal, it's powerful, and it's an honor to be a part of it."

Thanks to your generous support we’ve already served 168 client families with the gift of a reliable vehicle and a full year of free maintenance. We are trusting the Lord to provide for the next 50 clients in 2024. Please help us continue this vital ministry! To find out more about giving to OnRamp, please visit our GIVE page.

PS. I (Blake) have been working hard to refine our presentation to businesses about the value of partnering financially with OnRamp. If any of you have contacts that could get me in the door with companies large or small, please let me know! That could include automotive companies like Discount Tire or Toyota, or non-automotive companies like banks or oil companies. Really, any company at all. Thanks!

From our Board: Why they Give

On this #GivingTuesday, we wanted to provide an opportunity for you to hear directly from our Board Chair, Catherine Cole, and Board Treasurer, Matt Ege. We asked them, “Why do you give to OnRamp?” We can’t expect others to donate to this cause if our leadership doesn’t donate first, so what led Catherine and Matt to give of their money and time so generously to OnRamp’s ministry?

Dr. Catherine Cole was introduced to OnRamp in 2018 as she taught a Capstone class with the Bush School that chose OnRamp as its research project. She was immediately struck by our client-focused ministry, summarized in our slogan, “it’s not about the vehicle, it’s about the people.” Shortly after the project ended, Dr. Cole enthusiastically joined OnRamp’s Board of Directors and has served as our Chair for the last several years. So why does she volunteer and give to OnRamp?

“A vehicle represents freedom, opportunities for career improvement, community engagement and more. It’s so uplifting [to be a part of OnRamp], you get to help leave a legacy and be a small part of someone’s journey toward self-sufficiency… That’s why I do this work - I can leave the earth, and other people, better than I found them. We get to show others the hope of Jesus!”

Dr. Matt Ege provides oversight of OnRamp’s finances as our Board Treasurer. He ensures all financial decisions are made with biblical wisdom, professional accuracy, and complete transparency. He is an accomplished Professor within the Accounting Department of Mays Business School. Asked why he donates his time and money to OnRamp, he says,

“When I think about OnRamp, I think about the people. We aren’t just giving cars away - we are investing in people. When you put $100 into an investment, when you go to take it out later, it will have grown. And that’s how I view giving to OnRamp. What we are doing is using the gift of reliable transportation as an excuse to invest in people. There’s nothing wrong with giving someone a meal - but it’s consumed right then. What we’re doing is making long-term impact to make each donation grow exponentially and change lives. It’s amazing. Thinking about the impact your dollar can have - it’s more than that one dollar!”

Asked why donors should consider trusting OnRamp with their money, Matt responded,

“We are absolutely committed to transparency. So much so that we’ve made it possible for anyone to download our financial statements directly from our website. Donors can see what we spend; it’s reviewed and it’s open to questions. Donors can contact us about anything! We are an open book.”

To that question, Catherine responded,

“We are certified by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. We have a robust budget. And most notably, our board is not a rubber stamp board - they are diverse, they ask questions, they are engaged.”

As you consider where to give on this #GivingTuesday and for the remainder of 2023, we’ll leave you with these inspiring words from Dr. Cole,

“I think it’s important for us to be reminded [that] for those who have been given so very much, much is expected. It’s energizing to realize that we CAN do something about it! We can change our community for the better.”

To donate one-time or monthly to OnRamp’s 2023 “Supercharge your Impact” campaign, please visit our GIVE page.

Thanksgiving Comes Early for Two Young Moms

Yesterday we celebrated an early Thanksgiving for two single moms of young sons here in BCS. Their stories are simultaneously heart-breaking and inspiring.

Megan, our 167th client, has endured countless challenges in life, including an abusive and traumatic childhood. Her advocate says of her, “She has been knocked down time and time again. Through it all, she still has a heart to serve others and her country and was briefly in the army before being medically discharged. She is currently dealing with one hurdle after another, and having a reliable means of transportation will be life changing for her and her son.” Despite working a full-time job, Megan couldn’t earn enough to cover expenses AND purchase a reliable car. So Megan’s church nominated her to OnRamp and we gifted her a Toyota Camry. She is such a grateful and sweet young woman - she handed us a thank-you card and a lovely plant for our office the moment we met at the tax office! She even volunteered to help OnRamp in any way she can.

Megan, second from right, with her advocate, her OnRamp interviewer, and our Operations Director.

We are keeping Client 168’s 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 works and is saving all the money she can. 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. In her application, she told us that, “Having safe and reliable transportation would be life changing. Moving that mountain in order to focus on education and work without the stress of survival and hardly making ends meet would shift priorities to prosper my family's life. Currently I am… using Uber, [but] it costs a lot. My neighborhood has an unsafe path across the highway to get to the nearest bus route, that takes me to another bus route to get to school. The route does not work with my son’s daycare hours. So there is not a good public transit or bike ride option.” 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 now, these were, in her words, “luxuries” she couldn’t afford due to the high cost of Uber. But now, with the Kia we gifted her, she can load up her son’s bike and go enjoy a sunny day. Can you imagine having a child who desperately wants to go to the park and public library but you can’t ever take him because transportation is an unaffordable “luxury”! I can’t imagine that. I am so, so grateful that with the help of our generous donors, we were able to gift this worthy woman and her son the vehicle they need to go to the park and library today and everyday!

The Kia that will give this client and her son access to work, school, church, the park, and the library!

We hope these women have inspired you to give thanks this week for the many blessings God has provided each of us. And we hope they inspire you to continue to partner with our ministry so we can serve the next amazing clients on our list with the essential gift of reliable transportation.

The Privilege To Help

Guest post by OnRamp board member Austin Rogers

For lower-income Americans, the struggle to stay above water keeps getting tougher. That is especially true for hard-working individuals who don’t own a personal vehicle, as was the case for OnRamp clients before receiving the keys to their new car on donation day.

According to the most recent data, about 8% of US households do not own a personal vehicle. While some of these households don't need a vehicle because they have easy access to public transportation, most of these households in communities like ours would desperately like to own a car. They simply can't afford one.

Since the beginning of COVID-19, prices for both new and used vehicles have soared. The average price of a used vehicle has leaped by 36% since the pandemic began. Even after a modest pullback in used car prices since their peak in early 2022, they remain much more expensive than they were 3-4 years ago.

Graph of Used Vehicle Prices:

Due to this jump in used car prices combined with an increase in interest rates, the average monthly car payment for used vehicles has soared 35% since 2020 to a high of $567.

That increase in vehicle costs comes on top of significant increases in the costs of essential goods like food and rent. The result is that even with growth in wages in the US these last few years, many hard-working, lower-income families feel like they are trapped in a hamster wheel, earning more money only to spend more money at the grocery store, gas pump, and car dealership.

As a result of these increased expenses, only about 40% of American households are able to save money at all. We know this from surveys like this one showing that 62% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The vast majority of those living paycheck to paycheck are in lower- or middle-income households. Many of these households are not only unable to save money, they are increasingly running up their credit card balances in order to survive. That is why we have seen total credit card debt in the US surge to a new record high of over $1 trillion.

As prices and debts increase, it's no wonder that many Americans with car loans are falling behind on their payments and, unfortunately, seeing their vehicles repossessed by the lender. More auto loan borrowers with low credit ratings are missing their payments today than at any time in the last three decades.

In some cases, people bought more expensive cars than they could realistically afford. In other cases, borrowers fell prey to disreputable lenders or scam artists tricking them into outsize loans or dysfunctional cars that needed expensive repairs.

Whatever the causes, lower-income Americans are struggling even more than before the pandemic to keep their head above water in these difficult times.

A Call To Those With Means To Help

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul tells us that Christians in Macedonia gave generously to help alleviate the suffering of their fellow believers in Jerusalem who were enduring great hardships. He praises the Macedonia Christians for giving so generously when they themselves had very little to give!

Paul says that the Macedonian Christians gave "of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints" (v. 4).

The Greek word for "favor" is charis, which can mean grace, goodwill, kindness, or favor. They didn't view charity (a word that derives from charis) as an obligation but as a joyful privilege.

How much more, then, should the relatively wealthy Corinthian church be motivated to give to their brothers and sisters in need?

"For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened," Paul writes in verses 13-14, "but that as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness."

Paul's words are just as true for Americans today as they were for Corinthians 2,000 years ago. Some of us are blessed with resources to spare, and we have the privilege of participating in the relief of hard-working people in need right here within our community.

Although we are burdened by the difficulties many of our lower-income neighbors are going through, it gives us joy to be in a position to help. We would love to share this JOY with you, and so we invite you to financially partner with OnRamp. If you are blessed to have more than your family needs to survive, would you consider sharing some of that through OnRamp with families in need? Details can be found at www.onramptx.org/give.

PS. If you are ever looking to buy a used car for yourself or someone in your family, you will be tremendously well served by reading our free e-book Reliable Rides: OnRamp's Used Car Buying Guide. This will help you avoid the scams, lemons, and crooks so common in today’s used car market. Get your free copy on our www.onramptx.org/resources page.

Ebony's Story

NEW VIDEO RELEASE: Here is our newest OnRamp testimonial video, Ebony’s story. We are thrilled to share this inspiring client and community leader with you. Watch to see how one vehicle donation ends up being used to bless many young women in our community who have been scarred emotionally or physically. Clients like Ebony motivate us because they use the gifts we give them, reliable cars and SUV’s, to serve others in creative and powerful ways. Donate today to help us bless even more hard-working applicants like Ebony.

Client 166: A Van for an Entrepreneur

“J”, our 166th client, recently graduated from The Reach Project’s Entrepreneurial Journey Program, a 33-week intensive training designed to help participants learn the skills and craft the plan to turn their side-hustle into a full time gig so they can increase income and build a stable financial future for their families. This single mom of three young kids moved to Texas a few years ago to escape an abusive relationship. She secured a job as a bus driver and has already taken financial literacy courses. She has set ambitious financial goals and works diligently to accomplish them all. We were so blessed to award this entrepreneur with a minivan of her own yesterday. With this tool and the freedom it brings, we are confident that she will continue to press onward towards a brighter future for her and her children!

One donated vehicle can transform the lives of multiple people, as in the case of “J” and her three kids, or in the case of our former client Ebony whose video story will release next week. We can’t wait to share this amazing woman’s ministry with you; a ministry empowered by your generosity through OnRamp. Here’s just a sneak peek clip from the video…

As we enter into our year-end giving push, we wanted to update you on our 2023 “Supercharge your Impact” campaign. We set two goals: raise $400,000 in the final three months of this year and double our monthly committed giving from approximately $6,000 to $12,000 each month. Last week alone, we raised over $60,000 in year-end gifts, and we’ve already increased our monthly committed giving by an additional $2,100! If you are in a position to donate before the end of the year, please keep OnRamp in mind. We have nine fully approved clients just like “J” and Ebony awaiting vehicles right now and just need the funds to get them moving.

Finally, a huge congratulations to our fearless Board of Directors chair, Catherine Cole, who was chosen by KBTX and Daniel Stark Law to receive the “Be Remarkable” award. She deserves it! Click here for the full story.