Client 293: Three Miles Each Way

Three miles. That's how far Dequennce walks to work on days when he can't find a ride. Then he walks three miles home. A grocery run means a 20-minute walk in each direction, and he can only buy what his arms can carry back to his apartment.

Dequennce aged out of foster care and has been building his life one step at a time ever since. He has no car, no family vehicle to borrow, and no public transit to fall back on. Even so, he works 40 hours a week, keeps his own apartment, pays his bills, and recently started a savings account. What weighs on him most, though, is being unable to visit his family down in Houston.

He has big plans for his future. Dequennce wants to enroll at Blinn College to study Construction Science, move into a better job, and one day give back to the food pantries he relied on growing up. Every one of those goals depends on reliable transportation. That's why Noemi, his case manager with Unlimited Potential, nominated him to OnRamp. As she wrote in her nomination, "Dequennce pays his bills and is doing everything he can to continue growing. We are so proud of him."

So are we! This young man impressed our whole team. Last week we gifted him this dependable Toyota Camry, the first vehicle he has ever owned. Look at how much ground he has already covered on foot. We can't wait to see how far he goes now that he has his own set of keys! Please join us in praying that this Camry carries him to class, to work, and home to Houston for years to come.

Dequennce receiving keys to his new-to-him Camry from his advocate, Noemi.

If you'd like to partner with us in serving more local clients like Dequennce, please consider giving to OnRamp during this year's Brazos Valley Gives, live now through October 20th. We've secured $18,500 in matching gifts, so every dollar you give will be doubled! You can give anytime before 11pm on October 20th at https://mtyc.co/abg46g

Thank you to everyone who made this year's Wheels | Watches | Whiskey our most successful ever! Between the raffle, the claw machine, and online donations, we raised over $15,000. That's enough for a Corolla and a half for client families on our waiting list! As always, a big thank you to Michael and Jennifer Satterfield of Satterfield Group for hosting this amazing event.