Client 189: Ramp Van to the Rescue

For our 189th client family, a wheelchair-accessible van means freedom for an otherwise home-bound young man. Karen and Sam live in rural Navasota. They adopted three boys with special needs who are now all in their twenties. One of their boys, Matthew, cannot get out go the house without a wheelchair-accessible ramp van. Unfortunately, the van they previously owned was 24 years old and no longer reliable at all. This meant Matthew couldn’t go anywhere, and the family as a whole struggled to access healthcare, church, and community. That’s when Karen’s Women of Faith group at Central Baptist Church in Bryan stepped up to nominate this deserving family to OnRamp. Her advocate wrote in our nomination form that “Karen is a shining light and an example of someone who loves and serves well. Her faith in God's ability and desire to meet their needs is strong. She has a calm assurance that God knows their needs and has confidence that He will meet those needs.”

Indeed, God did precisely that. Unbeknownst to Karen and Sam, six months ago a local family gifted to OnRamp a mechanized ramp van with only 20,000 miles on it! It was hardly even broken in. Christian Brothers Auto caught up all the maintenance and Discount Tire gave it a set of new shoes, and we joyously gathered at the Grimes County tax office to give Karen and Sam and their boys the gift of freedom.

Want to see exactly what this van means to this family? All three boys play baseball for a team called the Crusaders in a league of 80 participants on six teams. But when their van broke down, Matthew couldn’t play any longer because there was no way to get him to the ballpark. Not anymore! Thanks to the van, Matthew got to be at baseball that very day! As our lead volunteer on this case, Bettye, reported, “The van changed Matthew’s life; from being isolated to being a part of his community by attending church, social events and playing baseball.” For those with disabilities like Matthew, a reliable and accessible vehicle truly is life-changing.

Now for the bad news. Due to all our recent vehicle donations to clients, OnRamp has fallen below our “soft floor” - the amount in the bank that we have to be above in order to say "yes" to new clients. We can donate vehicles to those clients we've already accepted, and continue to service vehicles for all clients in our one-year of care, but we can't add new clients to the list despite all the excellent applicants in the pipeline. We would LOVE to see this change, but it does take either a greater steady stream of monthly giving or some large one-time or periodic gifts. If you are able to help, please visit our GIVE page, or if you know any person or business who could help, please send them our way by having them email blakej@onramptx.org. Thanks everyone!

An Inspiring Week... But Also Don't Die

From Nigeria with Love

Nothing more reliable than a simple Corolla. And this one even has crank windows - so less to break.

Our 187th client is a family from Nigeria: a mom and dad with their young son and newborn daughter. The husband is a doctoral student at TAMU working incredibly hard to complete his studies and care for his growing family. They were nominated by our friends at Grace Bible Church who actually paid the airfare to bring this man’s wife and children here to the US after he’d arrived for school. Now with a reliable Toyota Corolla of his own, he can continue excelling in school, take his family on day trips, and take his children to appointments and school. We are so grateful to partner with Grace Bible Church to bless another international student family!

Flood Driving Tips

A College Station driver made the national news this week in the worst sort of way. This short clip from the Weather Channel went viral, showing a sedan driving through high water during our recent flooding rain. What appears to be a parking lot is actually a submerged creek. That car is now trash. When even a small amount of water gets sucked into a running engine, it causes hydro-lock. The engine seizes and thousands of dollars of damage occurs instantly. So, here’s the tip: DO NOT EVER FOR ANY REASON DRIVE IN FLOODWATERS! Unless you have an off-road vehicle and know what you’re doing and what hazards are under that water, don’t take the risk. It could have been far worse if that water was moving fast because it could have trapped the driver and taken her life. So turn around, don’t drown.

Coastal Bend Client In Need

OnRamp is expanding to the Coastal Bend and we have our second client to serve out of Victoria, TX. This amazing single mom works up to 100 hours per week, at three jobs to make ends meet. We would love to bless her with a great low-mileage Honda Fit that we’ve found, but we need to raise approximately $8,000 to cover it. If you have ANY connection to the Coastal Bend or any friends or family there, please share Leticia's story below with them. If you can give towards this need, visit our "GIVE" page and write "Coastal Bend" in the comment line of your online gift or on the memo line of your check. Thanks!!

"Leticia Alvarado is my name. I’m 43 years old and a single mother of three children, however only one living child. I was born in Washington state, but Texas raised and have lived in Victoria the majority of my life. I currently hold three jobs to make ends meet. In January my car started giving me problems and eventually I was unable to drive it. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure I’m able to make it to work. Working is essential to survival and a way of life. I’m very grateful for such blessing and hope to continue to set an example for my family as well as my community. Thank you God and thank you OnRamp for helping me improve my quality of life."

First Car Care Clinic Success

Last week, we invited our clients to our office for a vehicle clinic. This was an opportunity for clients to ask questions, check out any maintenance issues, and learn more about their vehicle so they feel more confident behind the wheel. And every client received a free Drew's Car Wash gift card! We were so happy to see our clients face to face, hear their life updates, see their children, and pray for them! We will be doing this regularly, so to all our clients - keep an eye out in your inbox for details on the next workshop.

Client 186, Spiritual Gifts, and OnRampDFW

Spiritual gifts — special abilities and qualities given to us by God to fulfill His mission for our lives — manifest themselves in a variety of forms that can include teaching, giving, serving, hospitality, and so much more. Our most recent client, Lupe, embodies the particular spiritual gift of serving. She has proven to be a remarkable caregiver to people in her community. Her heart overflows with compassion for those in need.

Before Lupe lost access to transportation, caregiving was more than just a job. It was her passion and calling. She forged deep relationships with those under her care, extending far beyond daily tasks. Lupe offered not only physical assistance but also emotional support, friendship, and hope to those in need. So understandably, when her vehicle broke down and she could no longer reach her clients, she was heartbroken to leave the work she cherished, as well as the income she counted on.

Fast forward to this week. Through the kindness and nomination of Patsy Shubert, a member of Aldersgate Methodist, Lupe received a reliable Camry from OnRamp. But this is so much more than just a vehicle; it’s an opportunity for Lupe to continue her calling of caregiving. With this newfound mobility, Lupe can once again flourish in her spiritual gift, caring for others in need. This one vehicle will bless many through her compassionate service.

As we celebrate Lupe’s spiritual gift, we invite you to reflect on your own. How can you use your gifts to continue God’s mission of love and compassion in our community?

OnRampDFW

Beyond our community, God continues to expand the impact of OnRamp to serve new cities and new clients throughout Texas. Our staff traveled to Dallas last week to spend time with the growing OnRampDFW team who continue to amaze us. This all-volunteer team has already given reliable vehicles to twenty clients; and check out the graph to see how diverse these clients are based on their native languages! God is using this team to demonstrate the love of Christ in a tangible way to men and women from all over the world. If you or your friends or family live in DFW and are looking for a faith-based charity to support, I strongly encourage you to consider this amazing ministry. You can give here.

Our staff team in the Brazos Valley counts it a privilege and priority to train and equip new OnRamp ministries like DFW as they scale up and grow. We used this “OnRamp RoadTrip” to Dallas to share the processes and software systems we’ve developed that can manage hundreds of clients at a time, and we offer these to expansion ministries free of charge (though they have to purchase the actual system software from the companies we bought it from). Yet in addition to us teaching what we’ve learned, we also learn from them. Their own experiences as an OnRamp startup have taught us much and given us new ideas to implement back here in the Brazos Valley. I’ll be honest: I pray for a day when a dozen OnRamp teams covering a wide swath of the US gather annually for an OnRamp conference to share what we’re learning, solve new problems, and plan for greater impact in the future. May it be so, Lord!

To all those who help to fund OnRamp here in the Brazos Valley, we want you to know that your giving is fueling impact that goes far beyond our community. Thank you for supporting our efforts to bless families in need throughout Texas!

From Three-Wheeler to Corolla

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.

Why Your Car Insurance Skyrocketed

Across the US, auto insurance rates have risen an average of 26% from the previous year. That's an astronomical  jump in just 12 months, and it is crushing those, like our clients, who were already living with razor thin margins. So why is auto insurance out-of-control?

Did you know that just to replace the windshield on my friend’s Ford F250 pickup costs $2300?! That was a $500 repair not that long ago. But his truck came with a number of driver aids: things like lane departure warning, emergency braking, radar cruise control. Those are GREAT features because they save lives. However, they increase the cost of a stone hitting his windshield by a factor of six. That is not an anomaly. Back into a light pole? What might have been $800 to fix a few years ago - just replace the plastic bumper cover - is now $4,000 to replace and realign back-up sensors and cameras. And just to be clear, it is not because repair shops are gouging us. The  high-tech equipment to do that alignment is many tens of thousands of dollars, plus specialized labor.  This inflationary trend will only increase as self-driving assistance features multiply, including more cameras, sensors, radar, LiDAR, and God-knows how many interconnected computer modules. Now let me be clear: we are NOT against this new safety tech. It really will save lives, just like airbags and seatbelts before it. But it will GREATLY increase the cost to repair vehicles, especially as they age.

Windshield camera and sensor array on a new Tesla - a sure sign of things coming to all vehicles.

So what do we do about this crushing cost increase? First, maximize your credit score! It may surprise you to learn that credit score does factor in to the price you are quoted for insurance. OnRamp clients are offered this assistance through free community credit-building programs, but the advice holds for everyone at every economic level. The better your score, the lower your cost of insurance.

Second, drive extra cautiously. We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your speed under control, remove distractions (NO TEXTING!), and drive defensively. Accidents and tickets can drive your insurance prices through the roof, and hurt you for years to come. It has always been wise to drive cautiously, but never more so than now.

Third, if you are able, consider helping those who are unable to weather this inflationary burden. If you give to OnRamp, your support helps us bless people in Texas who suffer the most from these cost increases. Not only do we gift reliable vehicles to them, but we also provide a full year of free maintenance plus ongoing training and resourcing to help them thrive. Other notable donation options include the Food Bank and various Food Pantries. We have heard from many struggling families that are literally having to choose between making their car insurance payment or feeding their kids. Or consider Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, or St Vincent de Paul - all offering emergency financial assistance to families trying to keep their heads above water. Now is the time for us to be more generous than ever before!

Ford F150 LED taillights with built in blind spot monitoring retail for approximately $1,300 each NOT including connected computer modules. So don’t back in to a post!

Client 184: Last Day Walking, Baby!

Client #184 is the “gold standard” of remarkable clients. Though we’re keeping her identity private, we can share that through a series of difficult life circumstances and loss, she entered into Elizabeth House Maternity Home, where she lived throughout her pregnancy with her second child. This client was employed by Amazon delivering boxes throughout the entire pregnancy! She worked hard to provide for her family, so after completing the EHMH program, the staff nominated her to OnRamp. By the time we met her, she had worked on her savings and credit, found housing for herself and her two children, and successfully completed most of the classes in a job training program. She did all that while walking her daughter to school several miles a day with a baby on her hip! By our estimates, she had to walk the kids an hour each way. She would then work remotely overnight once her children were asleep. She has done everything she can to pursue her education, build community connections, and grow as a parent.

Last week, hours before we handed her the keys to her new car, she walked her daughter to school for the very last time, and at drop off, told her “today is our last day walking, baby. I’ll pick you up in our new car this afternoon.” She now has access to take herself and her children to school, to church, and to get groceries. Her daughter can now attend after-school programs. We pray that this vehicle connects this sweet family to everything they need for as long as they need it.

We want to gift reliable vehicles and a full year of free maintenance to dozens more worthy local parents like her in 2024, but to do that, we need more monthly givers. If you’re not already giving monthly, please consider signing up by visiting our “GIVE” page. Or if you know of any friends, family, or coworkers who might want to support OnRamp’s ongoing ministry, please forward this email to them! We need as many financial partners as the Lord will provide to serve the many incredible clients He is sending us.

Client 183: Leverage

Twenty-two hundred years ago, Archimedes said “Give me a lever long enough and I shall move the world.” Levers are simple tools that multiply force, enabling a person to move massive loads. That is precisely what the gift of a reliable vehicle at the right time offers to a hard-working individual. It is simply a tool that multiplies the impact of his or her heroic efforts, increasing the odds of long-term success.

This lever image came to my mind as we donated a reliable Honda CRV to Angelica, our 183rd client last week. This single mom of three works full-time for Brazos Valley Coalition of Government’s County Indigent Health Program. Here’s the key: notice how her advocate described her to us.

“Angelica has a very strong work ethic and has shown her growing expertise in her department. I envision her in a leadership role down the road. She is a person that just needed a good opportunity... From the moment I interviewed her, I could see her potential and told her so in that moment. She is so worth it!”

She’s already doing the work. She’s already impressing her employer and learning all she can. She is on the road to success. She just needed a tool to multiply her efforts so she can provide the greatest possible future for her kids. That’s where OnRamp enters the picture. We gifted her not only a vehicle but also a full year of free maintenance and ongoing support to supercharge her own efforts. Now we pray that with our help and her advocate’s ongoing care, Angelica will rise to leadership and fulfill her God-given potential. Please join with us in praying for God’s strength, love, and power for her and all of our 183 clients. May He lengthen the lever in their hands so they can move the world for the good of their families!

Angelica and her advocate, Jan.

What a Night!

Thanks to all of you who sponsored bays, bought tickets, or bid on auction items at Saturday’s 2024 DRIVE WITH ONRAMP fundraiser. With your help, we raised over $42,000 in profits, exceeding our goals and ensuring we remain on track to gift reliable vehicles and a year of free maintenance to FIFTY new client families in 2024!

Your generosity in 2023 enabled us to serve 44 clients with 63 dependent children in their homes who now have access to jobs, school, church, doctor, the grocery store. They are on the path towards self-sufficiency because of you!

We are excited to report that our 182nd client will join their ranks this Thursday when she receives the 2013 Honda Odyssey that was parked on the front walkway at BigShots! She and her kids are about to get a huge HELP-UP thanks to you all.

Special thanks are owed to our amazing sponsors for this event. For the second year running, Bock Realty led the charge as our Platinum Sponsor and College Station Mercedes followed as our Gold Sponsor. We are also so grateful to our Silver Sponsors, StyleCraft Builders, EOS - Randy McDougal, and the Bolin and Rogers families, and all of our Bronze Sponsors. Thank you also to Fries Financial Services for their generous matching gift of $4,000 towards the silent auction. Since the auction raised over $4,000, the entire match is ours!

The surprise of the night was welcoming dozens of walk-ups who just so happened to come to BigShots for a night of fun without realizing we’d rented the place out. They purchased tickets at the door and got to learn about OnRamp while driving golf balls.

We would be remiss not to thank the Lord for perfect weather! Just two days earlier we had torrential rains. But His timing was perfect.

If you are able to give even more towards our vital mission of sharing the grace of God though the gift of reliable transportation, please visit our GIVE page to make a one-time or recurring donation. Your generosity is the fuel in our tank that keeps this ministry running!

Client 181: A Family of Seven

The Roberts family illustrates OnRamp’s mission PERFECTLY. Scott, a committed father, works as a full-time truck driver while his wife Chelsey, stays home to raise and school their five young children. They recently accomplished a huge goal: purchasing a home for their family in Navasota. Unfortunately, a short time afterwards, both of their vehicles broke down and were beyond repair. With the mortgage, groceries, and bills, there was simply not enough money left to afford a reliable vehicle that could fit all seven of them. That’s why their pastor at West Oaks Baptist, Joshua, nominated them to OnRamp. As Joshua shared with us,

“Scott has consistently held a job and has been making good decisions in finding his current job which allows him to be more present at home while providing a steady income. They have done very well managing on a single income with numerous stressors including having twins under three years old.”

As you can see, OnRamp is just a small part of the Roberts’ story. They have already accomplished so much! As a father of twins, I cannot imagine having twins PLUS three more kids, all under age ten! Loving and raising those kids while holding down a steady job and buying a home… they are the heroes in this story. We were just here at the right time to provide a tool they needed, a Honda Odyssey, to keep them moving forward.

Since this family lives in Navasota, we got to use the Grimes County Tax Office. It’s a bit of a hike but had no line! And this Honda Odyssey was MINT. Only 100k miles and perfect condition.

If you’d like to keep this ministry going, please consider joining us this Saturday, March 23, at our annual Drive with OnRamp event at BigShots from 5-8pm. Tickets are $50 each (almost all of that going straight to OnRamp) and include 3 hours of play, full use of the facility including putt-putt and corn-hole, and dinner. Children are more than welcome, and we’ll have a silent auction of great items to raise even more money. And for the first time, we’ve got a silent auction sponsor, Fries Financial Services, that will match the first $4,000 that comes into the auction!! So please bid, starting today!! Please click HERE to purchase tickets or bid on auction items.

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.