Why did GiGi, our 117th client, need a car from OnRamp?
“With a reliable vehicle I will be able to get to and from my doctor appointments without having to ask around for a ride or miss my appointment because people cannot take off. I will be able to get my grandson to his cystic fibrosis appointments [in Houston] while his mom is working or stay at the hospital with him. I will be able to get my school age grandkids to and from school without them having to walk in the rain or cold this winter. I will be able to travel to my oldest granddaughter’s basketball games and go watch her cheer. I will be able to get back to church and get back on my duties. I will be able to help my aunt who [lives] next door to me who doesn't drive anymore get to her appointments. I will be able to travel to Dallas to see my 79 year old father who has dementia who I haven't seen in 2 years because my transportation is not reliable.”
Born and raised in Bryan, this mom to 2, grandmother to 7, and caregiver to two other young infants has persevered through multiple heart attacks to continue to care for everyone around her. But the breakdown of her 250,000 mile Trailblazer threatened not only her independence, but also her ability to provide necessary transportation for her grandkids and neighbors.
Enter Grace Bible Church’s Youth Impact program. Lauren, the Aggie leader assigned to Gigi’s grandkids, took the opportunity to get to know her well over the last year. In Lauren’s own words, “GiGi has radically changed my life and the way that I view hospitality, serving others, and what it looks like to sacrifice your life for the sake of people that you love. She loves people more than anyone I know and is the biggest servant.”
When the Trailblazer finally died, Lauren nominated GiGi to OnRamp, and we were privileged to gift her a 2009 Pontiac Vibe, which is actually just a rebadged Toyota Corolla in hatchback form! She immediately named it “Silver Bullet.” Now she is free to get herself and others to life-saving doctor appointments, get her grandkids to and from school, and participate in their extracurricular activities and church events.
Hopefully GiGi’s story demonstrates how a reliable vehicle makes a transformative impact on multiple generations in a family. Yes, Gigi now has opportunity for a better life. But so do her seven grandchildren and two bonus infants. So does her grandson with cystic fibrosis. So does her aunt. And so does her elderly father. Four generations are deeply blessed through a single reliable car. This is the power OnRamp offers to families in the Brazos Valley.
If you want to make a transformative impact in this community while sharing the love of Christ with your neighbors, please consider making a year-end or monthly gift to OnRamp. Due to inflation, our average vehicle cost is $8,000, plus $2,000 to fully maintain the vehicle free-of-charge for each client for their first year with us. That $10,000 investment per client is high, but can make a generational impact worth ten times as much. If you’d like to help us bless more families like GiGi’s please click here to give.
