Where OnRamp's Name Comes From

Ever wonder where the name “OnRamp” comes from?

Sitting in a quiet coffee shop in 2017, our founder Blake Jennings stared through the window at the steady stream of traffic flowing across a nearby overpass. He wasn’t just watching cars, he was searching for the right name for an automotive ministry that had been stirring in his heart. He’d reached out to multiple creative friends to brainstorm possible names, but wasn’t sure which to go with.

Blake had recently met several single parents whose stories broke through his comfortable assumptions about poverty. These weren’t people looking for handouts; they were hardworking mothers and fathers whose unreliable vehicles had become barriers to everything that mattered. Jobs slipped away when cars broke down. Housing became unstable without dependable transportation. Doctor visits were missed. Education opportunities vanished. These parents were trying their best to survive in a community where vehicle ownership was as essential as food or clothing.

Looking out that window, Blake suddenly realized that for these families, it was as if they were stuck on the feeder road, while everyone else cruised through life on the highway. His mind latched on to one of the possible names his most creative friend had offered: Onramp. That was perfect! These families didn’t need a hand out. They needed an onramp, a way to get from the slow, frustrating side roads of struggle onto the open highway of self-sufficiency and hope.

That’s what this charity would provide: an OnRamp for families to achieve true, long-term self-sufficiency through the provision of a vehicle. From that moment, the name and mission were one: to give families the reliable transportation they need to leave the slow lane of survival and accelerate onto the highway of success.

Since that fateful day in Gogh Gogh coffee shop, OnRamp has donated vehicles to over 240 households which include more than 370 children. These numbers do not include the additional 40+ households gifted vehicles by our DFW affiliate. We rejoice at the thought of literally hundreds of adults and children gifted an onramp in life to chase their dreams and accomplish their goals.

Wheels | Watches | Whiskey 2025

We are once again the non-profit beneficiary of this year's exciting WHEELS | WATCHES | WHISKEY™ event, September 20th at the Stella Hotel in Bryan. Tickets are on sale HERE. We'll host a live auction to raise $10,000 to purchase and repair the next reliable vehicle for a local family in need. We need auction items such as premium spirits, gift cards to fine dining restaurants, fine watches, jewelry, or automotive memorabilia or experiences. Please email us if you have any of these to donate personally or through your business.

And for anyone who’s a collector of fine automotive art, we have an amazing McLaren F1 painting available for auction by Texas artist Shan Fannin. Half the sale price goes to OnRamp. Bidding starts at $9500 and you can email Blake to register your bid. Details about the painting and artist available here.