It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a startup charity in possession of many clients in need, must be in want of outstanding volunteers.
Points to whomever identifies the source of that line (hint: I never would have known it without my wife’s help!) It is, indeed, true that the greatest need in launching a new charity is not money; it’s volunteers. I’ll take great leaders over great money any day of the week (not saying I wouldn’t take both if offered!) OnRamp simply would not exist without the great leaders who have sacrificed countless hours to join me in this crazy adventure. Today, we celebrate two of the best.
Catherine Cole
I met Dr. Cole over three years ago when her Bush School of Government and Public Service graduate class chose OnRamp as their Capstone research project. At the time, I had no idea how pivotal she and her class would prove to be in our growth! They sent a year researching every aspect of OnRamp and similar charities across the country in order to create a strategic plan that has guided our way ever since. Not surprisingly, the moment the class completed their project, I called her and offered her a position on our board. There is no one better qualified or positioned to help lead this ministry! She has over twenty years of practical experience in the faith-based, nonprofit sector leading domestic anti-poverty programs, tackling international short-term assignments including fraud examination, and strategic and financial planning. Still a social worker at heart, her passion is helping individuals and organizations be their best through data and evidence. Now that I’m on staff with OnRamp, Catherine has been appointed our Board Chair (Extraordinaire!), and we celebrate her incredible faithfulness, wisdom, and leadership today!
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy is the General Manager for both Christian Brothers Automotive locations here in BCS. After watching me bring vehicle after vehicle to CBA for repairs before and after OnRamp donations, he realized there was a LOT of room for improvement in our system. The numbers of clients, vehicles, and dollars was growing exponentially two years ago, far beyond what I could keep track of on my notebook paper list. Fortunately, Jeremy has both skill and passion for building information systems to improve an organization’s efficiency and better serve our clients. So he joined our team and began to spend literally countless hours on nights and weekends building this incredible, automated vehicle management system for OnRamp pictured below that allows me and my team to see the status of all 86 vehicles we've donated, every vehicle in inventory, every vehicle being repaired, and every future vehicle we need to buy. It's linked to both Christian Brothers in town so their shops can take care of our clients automatically and our whole team can stay on the same page. It keeps data on every dollar spent on every vehicle so we can track every purchase and donation decision to get better and better at this ministry. It's magic! To me, Jeremy is yet another example of how a follower of Christ can use his or her “secular” skills to build Jesus’ kingdom on earth. Every Christian does not have to lead a Bible study to make an impact (thought that’s a great option for some)! For others, service will look like a worldly skill used with excellence to serve people in need to the glory of Christ.
Please join me in celebrating and thanking Catherine and Jeremy for their stellar service and dedication to OnRamp and to the multitude of people in need of reliable transportation in our community.