Impact Update

We are entering the final month of our three month ‘Supercharge your Impact’ campaign, and it’s time for an update. We set two goals for this campaign. (1) Increase monthly giving from $6,000 to $12,000 per month. So far, we have raised 58% of that goal, with $9,487 committed monthly! (2) Raise $400,000 in total donations in the final quarter (October - December) of 2023. As of today, we have raised $186,701, or 47% of that goal! If you are able to make a monthly or year-end gift, please help us finish strong so we can share Jesus’ love with more clients than ever next year.

When you give to OnRamp, you are not just funding cars; you’re funding transformation. Check out this joyful update from a single mom of 2 young children to whom we gifted a car at the beginning of September…

This vehicle is beyond a blessing. [It] gave me the opportunity to better provide for my family and myself. Going from having a car for years then go through a very hard divorce while pregnant to losing that vehicle in a few months time span. What onramp gave to me was my life back. I can now take my kids to the grocery store, the park, zoo, anywhere their little hearts desire. But the biggest outcome of all was [that I was] able to land my dream job as a dental hygienist!

The car unlocked her potential to secure better employment and a more secure future for herself and her kids. This is what one of our long-time donors and board members, Megan Bock, wanted to help other donors understand about this ministry…

“Supporting OnRamp brings us immense joy because it's not just about transportation; it's about empowering incredible men and women. They're not just helping people get to work; they're helping them fulfill their roles as parents and community contributors. Witnessing this transformation, seeing individuals embraced with unconditional love, and then passing on that love to others — it's profoundly moving. OnRamp, to us, is a beacon of Christ's love in action, and partnering with them feels like I'm part of something much bigger, something truly transformative. Joining hands with OnRamp, I'm not just supporting a cause; I'm part of a movement that's making lives brighter and our world kinder. It's personal, it's powerful, and it's an honor to be a part of it."

Thanks to your generous support we’ve already served 168 client families with the gift of a reliable vehicle and a full year of free maintenance. We are trusting the Lord to provide for the next 50 clients in 2024. Please help us continue this vital ministry! To find out more about giving to OnRamp, please visit our GIVE page.

PS. I (Blake) have been working hard to refine our presentation to businesses about the value of partnering financially with OnRamp. If any of you have contacts that could get me in the door with companies large or small, please let me know! That could include automotive companies like Discount Tire or Toyota, or non-automotive companies like banks or oil companies. Really, any company at all. Thanks!

From our Board: Why they Give

On this #GivingTuesday, we wanted to provide an opportunity for you to hear directly from our Board Chair, Catherine Cole, and Board Treasurer, Matt Ege. We asked them, “Why do you give to OnRamp?” We can’t expect others to donate to this cause if our leadership doesn’t donate first, so what led Catherine and Matt to give of their money and time so generously to OnRamp’s ministry?

Dr. Catherine Cole was introduced to OnRamp in 2018 as she taught a Capstone class with the Bush School that chose OnRamp as its research project. She was immediately struck by our client-focused ministry, summarized in our slogan, “it’s not about the vehicle, it’s about the people.” Shortly after the project ended, Dr. Cole enthusiastically joined OnRamp’s Board of Directors and has served as our Chair for the last several years. So why does she volunteer and give to OnRamp?

“A vehicle represents freedom, opportunities for career improvement, community engagement and more. It’s so uplifting [to be a part of OnRamp], you get to help leave a legacy and be a small part of someone’s journey toward self-sufficiency… That’s why I do this work - I can leave the earth, and other people, better than I found them. We get to show others the hope of Jesus!”

Dr. Matt Ege provides oversight of OnRamp’s finances as our Board Treasurer. He ensures all financial decisions are made with biblical wisdom, professional accuracy, and complete transparency. He is an accomplished Professor within the Accounting Department of Mays Business School. Asked why he donates his time and money to OnRamp, he says,

“When I think about OnRamp, I think about the people. We aren’t just giving cars away - we are investing in people. When you put $100 into an investment, when you go to take it out later, it will have grown. And that’s how I view giving to OnRamp. What we are doing is using the gift of reliable transportation as an excuse to invest in people. There’s nothing wrong with giving someone a meal - but it’s consumed right then. What we’re doing is making long-term impact to make each donation grow exponentially and change lives. It’s amazing. Thinking about the impact your dollar can have - it’s more than that one dollar!”

Asked why donors should consider trusting OnRamp with their money, Matt responded,

“We are absolutely committed to transparency. So much so that we’ve made it possible for anyone to download our financial statements directly from our website. Donors can see what we spend; it’s reviewed and it’s open to questions. Donors can contact us about anything! We are an open book.”

To that question, Catherine responded,

“We are certified by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. We have a robust budget. And most notably, our board is not a rubber stamp board - they are diverse, they ask questions, they are engaged.”

As you consider where to give on this #GivingTuesday and for the remainder of 2023, we’ll leave you with these inspiring words from Dr. Cole,

“I think it’s important for us to be reminded [that] for those who have been given so very much, much is expected. It’s energizing to realize that we CAN do something about it! We can change our community for the better.”

To donate one-time or monthly to OnRamp’s 2023 “Supercharge your Impact” campaign, please visit our GIVE page.

Thanksgiving Comes Early for Two Young Moms

Yesterday we celebrated an early Thanksgiving for two single moms of young sons here in BCS. Their stories are simultaneously heart-breaking and inspiring.

Megan, our 167th client, has endured countless challenges in life, including an abusive and traumatic childhood. Her advocate says of her, “She has been knocked down time and time again. Through it all, she still has a heart to serve others and her country and was briefly in the army before being medically discharged. She is currently dealing with one hurdle after another, and having a reliable means of transportation will be life changing for her and her son.” Despite working a full-time job, Megan couldn’t earn enough to cover expenses AND purchase a reliable car. So Megan’s church nominated her to OnRamp and we gifted her a Toyota Camry. She is such a grateful and sweet young woman - she handed us a thank-you card and a lovely plant for our office the moment we met at the tax office! She even volunteered to help OnRamp in any way she can.

Megan, second from right, with her advocate, her OnRamp interviewer, and our Operations Director.

We are keeping Client 168’s identity private, but can share that this young single mom was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her child’s father. She moved to BCS to find safety and to enroll in college and pursue a degree in nursing. She works and is saving all the money she can. She’s involved in her church and committed to growing as a mother, which is how she connected with her advocate who trained her in parenting skills. In her application, she told us that, “Having safe and reliable transportation would be life changing. Moving that mountain in order to focus on education and work without the stress of survival and hardly making ends meet would shift priorities to prosper my family's life. Currently I am… using Uber, [but] it costs a lot. My neighborhood has an unsafe path across the highway to get to the nearest bus route, that takes me to another bus route to get to school. The route does not work with my son’s daycare hours. So there is not a good public transit or bike ride option.” When we asked her what she was looking most forward to with her new car, she said taking her son to the park to ride his bike and to the library to read books. Until now, these were, in her words, “luxuries” she couldn’t afford due to the high cost of Uber. But now, with the Kia we gifted her, she can load up her son’s bike and go enjoy a sunny day. Can you imagine having a child who desperately wants to go to the park and public library but you can’t ever take him because transportation is an unaffordable “luxury”! I can’t imagine that. I am so, so grateful that with the help of our generous donors, we were able to gift this worthy woman and her son the vehicle they need to go to the park and library today and everyday!

The Kia that will give this client and her son access to work, school, church, the park, and the library!

We hope these women have inspired you to give thanks this week for the many blessings God has provided each of us. And we hope they inspire you to continue to partner with our ministry so we can serve the next amazing clients on our list with the essential gift of reliable transportation.

The Privilege To Help

Guest post by OnRamp board member Austin Rogers

For lower-income Americans, the struggle to stay above water keeps getting tougher. That is especially true for hard-working individuals who don’t own a personal vehicle, as was the case for OnRamp clients before receiving the keys to their new car on donation day.

According to the most recent data, about 8% of US households do not own a personal vehicle. While some of these households don't need a vehicle because they have easy access to public transportation, most of these households in communities like ours would desperately like to own a car. They simply can't afford one.

Since the beginning of COVID-19, prices for both new and used vehicles have soared. The average price of a used vehicle has leaped by 36% since the pandemic began. Even after a modest pullback in used car prices since their peak in early 2022, they remain much more expensive than they were 3-4 years ago.

Graph of Used Vehicle Prices:

Due to this jump in used car prices combined with an increase in interest rates, the average monthly car payment for used vehicles has soared 35% since 2020 to a high of $567.

That increase in vehicle costs comes on top of significant increases in the costs of essential goods like food and rent. The result is that even with growth in wages in the US these last few years, many hard-working, lower-income families feel like they are trapped in a hamster wheel, earning more money only to spend more money at the grocery store, gas pump, and car dealership.

As a result of these increased expenses, only about 40% of American households are able to save money at all. We know this from surveys like this one showing that 62% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The vast majority of those living paycheck to paycheck are in lower- or middle-income households. Many of these households are not only unable to save money, they are increasingly running up their credit card balances in order to survive. That is why we have seen total credit card debt in the US surge to a new record high of over $1 trillion.

As prices and debts increase, it's no wonder that many Americans with car loans are falling behind on their payments and, unfortunately, seeing their vehicles repossessed by the lender. More auto loan borrowers with low credit ratings are missing their payments today than at any time in the last three decades.

In some cases, people bought more expensive cars than they could realistically afford. In other cases, borrowers fell prey to disreputable lenders or scam artists tricking them into outsize loans or dysfunctional cars that needed expensive repairs.

Whatever the causes, lower-income Americans are struggling even more than before the pandemic to keep their head above water in these difficult times.

A Call To Those With Means To Help

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul tells us that Christians in Macedonia gave generously to help alleviate the suffering of their fellow believers in Jerusalem who were enduring great hardships. He praises the Macedonia Christians for giving so generously when they themselves had very little to give!

Paul says that the Macedonian Christians gave "of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints" (v. 4).

The Greek word for "favor" is charis, which can mean grace, goodwill, kindness, or favor. They didn't view charity (a word that derives from charis) as an obligation but as a joyful privilege.

How much more, then, should the relatively wealthy Corinthian church be motivated to give to their brothers and sisters in need?

"For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened," Paul writes in verses 13-14, "but that as a matter of fairness, your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness."

Paul's words are just as true for Americans today as they were for Corinthians 2,000 years ago. Some of us are blessed with resources to spare, and we have the privilege of participating in the relief of hard-working people in need right here within our community.

Although we are burdened by the difficulties many of our lower-income neighbors are going through, it gives us joy to be in a position to help. We would love to share this JOY with you, and so we invite you to financially partner with OnRamp. If you are blessed to have more than your family needs to survive, would you consider sharing some of that through OnRamp with families in need? Details can be found at www.onramptx.org/give.

PS. If you are ever looking to buy a used car for yourself or someone in your family, you will be tremendously well served by reading our free e-book Reliable Rides: OnRamp's Used Car Buying Guide. This will help you avoid the scams, lemons, and crooks so common in today’s used car market. Get your free copy on our www.onramptx.org/resources page.

Ebony's Story

NEW VIDEO RELEASE: Here is our newest OnRamp testimonial video, Ebony’s story. We are thrilled to share this inspiring client and community leader with you. Watch to see how one vehicle donation ends up being used to bless many young women in our community who have been scarred emotionally or physically. Clients like Ebony motivate us because they use the gifts we give them, reliable cars and SUV’s, to serve others in creative and powerful ways. Donate today to help us bless even more hard-working applicants like Ebony.

Client 166: A Van for an Entrepreneur

“J”, our 166th client, recently graduated from The Reach Project’s Entrepreneurial Journey Program, a 33-week intensive training designed to help participants learn the skills and craft the plan to turn their side-hustle into a full time gig so they can increase income and build a stable financial future for their families. This single mom of three young kids moved to Texas a few years ago to escape an abusive relationship. She secured a job as a bus driver and has already taken financial literacy courses. She has set ambitious financial goals and works diligently to accomplish them all. We were so blessed to award this entrepreneur with a minivan of her own yesterday. With this tool and the freedom it brings, we are confident that she will continue to press onward towards a brighter future for her and her children!

One donated vehicle can transform the lives of multiple people, as in the case of “J” and her three kids, or in the case of our former client Ebony whose video story will release next week. We can’t wait to share this amazing woman’s ministry with you; a ministry empowered by your generosity through OnRamp. Here’s just a sneak peek clip from the video…

As we enter into our year-end giving push, we wanted to update you on our 2023 “Supercharge your Impact” campaign. We set two goals: raise $400,000 in the final three months of this year and double our monthly committed giving from approximately $6,000 to $12,000 each month. Last week alone, we raised over $60,000 in year-end gifts, and we’ve already increased our monthly committed giving by an additional $2,100! If you are in a position to donate before the end of the year, please keep OnRamp in mind. We have nine fully approved clients just like “J” and Ebony awaiting vehicles right now and just need the funds to get them moving.

Finally, a huge congratulations to our fearless Board of Directors chair, Catherine Cole, who was chosen by KBTX and Daniel Stark Law to receive the “Be Remarkable” award. She deserves it! Click here for the full story.

Why We've Spent $151,000 on Repairs in Just Nine Months

Imagine for a moment that you are a single mom of two young children. You load the kids into the Toyota Corolla OnRamp gave you two months ago, turn the key, and nothing happens. It could be a dead battery - this cold snap is hard on batteries. That’s the best case scenario, but would still cost you $150 to replace if it’s totally dead. If it’s the alternator, another common issue on older cars, you’re going to need closer to $800. But since you’ve only had the car for two months, you haven’t had time to build up your savings. Before the car, every extra penny went to Uber to get to work so wouldn’t lose your job (a VERY common scenario in our town). You now no longer need Uber, but you haven’t been able to save enough to cover this sudden, unexpected expense on top of rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, gas, and health care that seem to constantly increase. If you don’t get this car working, you’ll lose your job. So what can you do?

For so, so many people in that exact scenario, the answer would be to get a payday or title loan at an exorbitant (immoral) interest rate. But that loan is a poison pill. It will cost so much to repay that this mom will never be able to build up savings and get out of this hole. This is why OnRamp does something extravagant that, as far as we know of, no other vehicle charity in the United States* is doing: we gift a full year of free maintenance support to every vehicle recipient! Whether it’s a battery, alternator, tires, water pump… or even an entire engine replacement (yep, we’ve done that), we pay the whole bill for twelve months. This gives our clients MARGIN to build their savings so that in the future, they can cover necessary repairs and maintenance without having to turn to predatory lenders. Through our first 50 vehicle donations, we saw clients average savings grow from $40 when we met to over $800 at the end of twelve months. They graduate our program with savings and a well-maintained car, plus all the encouragement, resourcing, and prayer we can give over those twelve months.

Charlie at Christian Brothers College Station has probably helped fix over 100 OnRamp cars by now!

We firmly believe this ongoing maintenance is worth the cost… but it is a cost! Through the first 9 months of this year, OnRamp spent over $151,000 on maintenance, repairs, and tires for all of our clients, both preparing the vehicles to be donated and maintaining the vehicles after donation. That works out to over $16,000 a month we need to raise just to repair and maintain these vehicles so our clients stay on track towards their goals. This is where we need monthly donors! We need consistent donations to fuel our ongoing support of these hard-working, deserving clients. We currently receive approximately $6,000 per month in recurring donations, and would like to double this number before the end of the year. If you’re not yet a monthly donor, please consider this option to take your commitment to this ministry to the next level. If you are a recurring donor and are in a position to increase your monthly giving, we sure could use it! We promise to spend it wisely helping clients make significant progress towards self-sufficiency.

To give monthly, visit our GIVE page.

One final note: we owe a huge thanks to Christian Brothers Automotive and Discount Tire! If it were not for the discounts they offer us, we would have spent closer to $220,000 through the first nine months of 2023. Please thank these businesses whenever you happen to interact with them!

*There are two awesome exceptions: OnRampDFW we helped launch in Dallas and a new startup in Houston called 3in1MechanicalMinistries that we are partnering with.

Helping a Blind Aggie's Family

Got a little story for you, Ags! Laura Ann is an Aggie, class of ‘90 who lives with her mom, Lucile, here in College Station. Laura Ann is blind, and relies on her amazing guide dogs, Pilot and Dyson (now retired). They all four get around town thanks to a lovely 2015 Toyota Sienna. Unfortunately, their Sienna’s air conditioning and water pump both failed, and since minivans are notoriously cramped and difficult to work on, the repair bill was going to be massive… over $6000. That was beyond what they could afford. Without a working van, they would be cut off from grocery stores, medical care, and other essential services.

By God’s grace and the generosity of our donors and business partners, this is where OnRamp entered the picture. We met Lucile and Laura Ann at Christian Brothers Automotive’s recent “Single Moms Oil Change” event. Christian Brothers did free oil changes for 86 local client families on Saturday, the 14th! Our OnRamp Client Care and Prayer Team volunteers were there to meet all the ladies who came out and hear their stories. That’s where we met this mother and daughter and learned from the Christian Brothers mechanics what their van would need. Lucile and Laura Ann couldn’t afford these essential repairs, but thanks to all of you, we could, especially with the generous 35% discount Christian Brothers gave us! With $4000 from us and over $2000 in donated labor/parts from Christian Brothers, Laura Ann, Lucile, Pilot, and Dyson now have their reliable, comfortable, and safe Toyota Sienna back in their driveway! Laura Ann texted me today to say, “We praise God for his provision and faithfulness, and that he sees us and meets our needs! We feel very blessed that you guys helped us! “

I wanted to share this story with you all to help you see the impact your giving has on worthy individuals here in BCS. We and Christian Brothers are so, so grateful we get to serve these families, and it’s all because you all keep giving above-and-beyond to this ministry. Thank you for helping us share Jesus’ love with Laura Ann, Lucile, Pilot, and Dyson (yes, I think Jesus loves guide dogs!) in this tangible way!

story and pictures shared with clients’ permission

Volunteer with OnRamp

We recently asked our volunteers why they serve with OnRamp. Here were a few highlights:

“It is SUCH a privilege to hear the clients stories. They inspire me!”

“OnRamp communicates more than any other group I volunteer with. We're valued. Our participation and opinions are solicited.”

“The fact that we give people cars. That still blows me away. My husband and I like to tell people about this ministry.”

“Watching the ripple effects transform lives.”

When I (Blake) was a pastor, I often struggled to find specific places people in our church could volunteer that would make a measurable impact in the lives of the vulnerable and disadvantaged. It was easy to preach on the principle of giving our lives in service to those in need, but difficult to apply it. That changed with OnRamp. Now we are swimming in tangible opportunities to serve those in need! If you want to follow the example of Jesus and use your time and talents to help struggling families, consider joining our team! As we continue to share about how you can “Supercharge Your Impact,” we want to highlight a few of the ways you or others you know can volunteer with OnRamp.

At OnRamp, we focus first and foremost on our clients. So our most important volunteer opportunity is with either our Client Care Committee (CCC) or Prayer Team (PT). Volunteers on these teams long to share the grace of God with people-in-need in the Brazos Valley through relationships. From the initial interview to the gifting of a vehicle, a CCC volunteer walks clients through the OnRamp process, encouraging and guiding them every step of the way. After the gifting of the vehicle, a CCC volunteer continues in relationship with the client, assisting him or her in a holistic manner that focuses on a variety of spiritual and material needs. These incredible volunteers work as a team in partnership with our staff. This team is diverse, compassionate, caring and honest. Most members bring some sort of experience in a caregiving role, such as a counselor, social worker, teacher, minister, coach, etc. We are even blessed to have former advocates and former clients of OnRamp on this team. Similarly, for our Prayer Team, we are looking for men and women dedicated to regularly contacting and praying for any clients open to prayer. This role is less specialized and demanding than the CCC, but every bit as valuable. To find out more about either of these roles, please contact our Care Director at taylorc@onramptx.org.

Second, we are always looking for volunteers who can help with fundraising, grant writing, event planning, social media, website and graphic design, and marketing. Vehicles are expensive! We need help raising the nearly one million dollar budget required to serve all the clients God brings our way each year. If you have skills in any of these areas, please contact our Operations Director at StephanieM@onramptx.org.

Finally, there’s the vehicles. While we’re not able to repair vehicles (our insurance company requires us to use ASE-certified mechanics and shops), we still do have plenty of work finding, buying, cleaning, detailing, and delivering vehicles to our clients. If interested in our vehicle team, contact our President at BlakeJ@onramptx.org.

If you are interested in serving with OnRamp, or if you would be willing to share these opportunities with your church, community groups, or friends, we would be so grateful. We would be more than happy to come speak to any group or gathering about these volunteer opportunities. Find out more about volunteering with OnRamp here.

A Car for Megan During Brazos Valley Gives

Today is the annual #BrazosValleyGives event and OnRamp is raising funds to purchase vehicles for our next six fully approved clients. These are wonderful women here in BCS who are working hard but really struggling due to lack of reliable transportation... women like Megan, a single mom getting no support from her child's father. She works as a teacher's aid, a substitute teacher, and a nursery worker at her church, putting in as many hours as she can to provide for her son. Your gifts to OnRamp today will help us provide Megan and her boy with a vehicle of their own so they can grow and thrive!

Our goal today is to raise $10,000 through Brazos Valley Gives for Megan’s car. Donations are open until 11pm tonight. To give, simply visit brazosvalleygives.org/onramptx

Five Vehicle Donations in Two Days

Five vehicle donations to five local women in two days made this our biggest and most complex week of ministry ever! Five new clients now have the freedom to get to work, school, healthcare, and anywhere else life takes them. All five asked us to keep their names private, and four asked for their photos to stay private as well. But we captured the moments each received keys to their new-to-them cars. Two of these clients are single moms with young children, one nominated by her church and the other by a companion charity in town who said of her, “She rarely asks for help and tries to be self-sufficient in all ways possible. Mom has been able to maintain a full-time job and has a great work ethic. She is providing a good example for her daughter.” We were so impressed with both of these moms and their dedication to providing for their children.

The rest of the clients this week are three brave women who served TAMU in their home country of Afghanistan when it fell to the Taliban. Fortunately, they were rescued and brought here, but they are having to build their lives from scratch. OnRamp spent approximately a year helping them learn to drive and get their licenses. They are working hard and supporting themselves as well as sending significant money back to their families who were unable to get out of their country. That financial responsibility left all of them without sufficient money to purchase reliable vehicles.  They’ve had to walk nearly everywhere. But God is GOOD! He provided the funds for us to purchase Toyota Scion Xb’s for each of them! They’re identical other than the color. We are so thankful to all of our volunteers and donors who made this extravagant gift possible. With your help, we were able to share the love of Jesus with these women through the tangible provision of a reliable vehicle!

Our inventory is down to just one vehicle left to donate… and yet we have nine approved and accepted clients awaiting vehicles, most of whom are single moms here in BCS. If you can help meet these needs as part of our Supercharge your Impact campaign, please visit our GIVE page and make a one-time or monthly donation.

Transformation Tuesday

Brazos Valley Gives is just a week away! On October 17 you can support OnRamp by donating to us here: https://www.brazosvalleygives.org/onramptx

You can donate anytime between now and 11pm on Oct 17th. However, we are hoping to win an extra $1000 by having the most number of donations of any size from 7am to 8am on Oct 17. So if you’re able to give during that time slot, your money will go even further!

All of this is part of our “Supercharge your Impact” campaign this fall, seeking to raise $400,000 in year-end-giving plus double our monthly donor support so that we can continue to serve more hard-working client families in the Brazos Valley. This isn’t about cars… it’s about transformation and freedom in the lives of these families. Here’s an example of what we mean in a recent update from a single mom to whom we gave a car 7 months ago...

Here is what God has done through you and others for me and my daughter:

- No more missed work/school because stuck in the country without working car (she lives in a rural county)

- No more remote church!!! Church family!!!

- Able to resume volunteer work

- No more isolation from family in Conroe or Corpus

- My daughter in regular therapy for autism related anxiety; specialist doctor visits no longer a problem

- Revived friendships b/c we can show up now!

- Punctuality and job role growth as my reliability was proven

- Sale of old house in need of 160k in repairs

- Purchase with proceeds of a new-to-us smaller home with no mortgage!

- Donated so much extra household furniture directly to people

- Small college fund for my daughter

- Old vehicle gifted to single mom friend who repaired it and it has in turn transformed her life.

When the house sale closes I plan to share with OnRamp. I can't wait to be able to help and to share my blessings!!"

This is just one of many examples showing how a reliable vehicle donated at the right time can truly transform a family's trajectory and help both parents and children thrive! Please consider donating to OnRamp to help us continue this ministry.

Redemption

Redeem = to regain possession of something through payment; to buy the freedom of something or someone.

For those who grew up in church, the word “redeem” or “redemption” automatically triggers thoughts of salvation, heaven, and eternal life. Indeed, the greatest redemption offered humanity is that won by Jesus on the cross. Yet we are often too quick to jump to the spiritual and neglect the everyday power of this word. Redemption is something needed regularly by struggling families in our town. Case in point, your donations to OnRamp allowed us to bring “redemption” to a local CSISD Early Head Start family. While the mom was in the hospital having a c-section to deliver their newest child, their apartment complex flagged her car for a flat tire. As in most lower-income apartment complexes, being flagged for a disabled car means a person has 24 hours to fix it before the apartment complex calls a tow truck. But this family never got the warning - they were in the hospital! So the apartment had the car towed to impound where it would cost $390 + $25 per DAY to “redeem.” By the time the family got home from the hospital and found out what happened, they could not pay the exorbitant bill… and it kept rising every day. If not paid in a timely fashion, the tow yard would eventually own the car. This was a tragedy in the making. With nowhere to turn, they reached out to Head Start who reached out to us and we immediately drove to the impound lot and paid the full bill on the spot to redeem the car and deliver this family (negotiation is not possible with tow yards - there is rarely grace in such places). Your generosity to OnRamp purchased actual, literal redemption for this family from the impoverishment they would have experienced if their car was seized and they were no longer able to get to work, the doctor, or the store. Thank you for helping us share redemption with families-in-need in our town!

Here’s another opportunity. You can donate to help OnRamp raise $10,000 for a vehicle for Kathryn, a student at Texas A&M who recently underwent a leg amputation after an accident and the discovery of a mass. Kathryn has travelled as far as Temple using a moped to get to and from doctors appointments, school, and work! This is incredibly unsafe, but she has no choice. She has no car, no funds to purchase a car, and nowhere to turn. With a vehicle, she will be able to safely get to all of her crucial appointments without risking her life on a moped next to semis! We gave her a temporary vehicle last week, a very high mileage Camry to keep her safe. But it won’t last indefinitely. We need help to raise funds to buy her a permanent, reliable car to get her through school safely and successfully. If you can donate, please visit our “Give” page.

The OnRamp team giving Kathryn a short-term, very-high mileage Camry to keep her safe on her trips to the doctors while we raise money for a long-term vehicle. We didn’t want her driving a moped to Temple while we work to raise funds!

Supercharge your Impact

Do you want to make a lasting impact for good in our community?

Do you want to leave a legacy of God’s grace in our town?

Then partner with OnRamp to transform lives through the gift of reliable transportation!

As the end of the year approaches, we invite you to SUPERCHARGE YOUR IMPACT in the Brazos Valley by donating to OnRamp. Your giving enables us us share the love of Christ by gifting reliable vehicles to individuals and families in need in our community to help them on their journey towards self-sufficiency. So far, we’ve been able to bless 160 local clients with a vehicle and a full year of free maintenance and support, but the waiting list keeps growing. There is so much need in our community at the moment, but that means there’s also so much opportunity to make a difference! The gift of a reliable car or SUV can transform a family’s trajectory for generations to come. We  have seen former clients use their vehicles to complete a college degree, get a better job, qualify for a transplant, build a ministry, and even purchase a home.

We believe God is calling us to stretch ourselves during these next three months by:

1. doubling monthly donations (Drivers of Hope program) from $6,000 to $12,000 committed monthly

2. increasing our 4th quarter giving from $292,000 in 2022 to $400,000 in 2023.

This increase in giving will make dramatic differences in our ministry. First, it will allow us to hire a full-time Care Director to provide true pastoral care for our clients. We’ve already chosen the person: our amazing advocate and volunteer, Taylor Carlson. Now we just need to raise her salary for when she starts full-time in January 2024. Second, these increased funds will allow us to serve even more local families who are struggling to stay afloat in these difficult times. We aim to gift reliable vehicles and a full year of support to 45 new local clients next year.

• Please pray for this fall campaign, that God will raise the funds needed to serve everyone He calls us to serve.

• Please share this campaign with others far and wide who want to make an IMPACT with their lives.

• Please consider donating to OnRamp either monthly or as a year-end gift.

And finally, to celebrate this new campaign, we are thrilled to launch our new OnRamp mission video! We owe a huge thanks to the team at avaere.co who created this amazing video introducing our ministry. Join us as we drive towards a more compassionate and connected community!

A Blessing from Africa

By Taylor Carlson, our new Care Director.

I am often encouraged by the OnRamp community. Yet at a recent donation, I was moved to tears over the reminder of one of God’s greatest gifts: our children. A car can be an extension of how we best care for those gifts. I was so moved by the words of gratitude spoken by a client family originally from Africa to whom we gifted an SUV large enough for their children. I asked this dear friend if he would expand upon his words for our readers and he graciously agreed.

“In my culture, we believe that children are both a blessing and a source of wealth for their families. We never stress about learning that there is a new baby coming into the family. Whether expected or unplanned, we believe that they come as God's gift to the family. In that sense, we believe that babies never come empty-handed regardless of whether their parents have plenty of resources to respond to their basic needs or not. This belief is summarized in a popular cultural proverb that says: "If God decides to bless a family with a baby, He will always send the baby with its plate/food."

I know this may sound too optimistic and idealistic; some may even say too disconnected from reality, but my experience so far tells a different story. I signed my very first employment contract, exactly a month after our first child was born. Before that, I had been searching for jobs unsuccessfully (and in my country finding a job is not an easy task even with a university degree). For me, that contract was the "plate" our first child brought so that we could take care of him. With that job, we managed to achieve and even go beyond all our goals. Afterward, we were blessed again with another baby. Just like the first, our second baby brought another opportunity, but this time, it was much bigger than the previous one: an opportunity that took us far from our home country to new adventures here in the United States. As we were settling down, we quickly realized that we were missing something very basic which we used to take for granted while in our home country: a reliable vehicle! Long story short, we got nominated to OnRamp by a good friend who believes in us and our potential. OnRamp approved our application and offered us a reliable vehicle just a few weeks before the birth of our third baby. 

I do not think we'd need more signs or miracles to understand that babies are indeed a blessing for their families. So far, each of our babies has come with their particular blessings and opportunities, and my family and I feel so grateful for having them. I think all it takes is to believe, work hard, and stay attentive to recognize how our Good God continues His Redemptive Work through little ones.”

This is a perfect example of what makes our clients so special: their gratitude. Their recognition of how God is working and bringing things together compels us all forward and reminds us of our blessings even in seasons of waiting.

Jamie's Story

We are thrilled to share this amazing video produced with the help of UnitedWay of the Brazos Valley about one of our clients named Jamie. UnitedWay graciously helped to fund the purchase of her vehicle, provided by OnRamp. As you will hear, our ministry is often about meeting vulnerable people in their hour of need. For Jamie, like so many other single parents, a vehicle is not a luxury. It is an essential tool for staying employed, paying the bills, raising the kids, and getting to the doctor. Her story shows how the gift of a dependable car can be a truly life-saving necessity (watch to the end and you’ll see!)

If you would like to help us bless more worthy women like Jamie (and we have quite a few on the waiting list), please consider donating to our ministry monthly or through a one-time gift. All the details can be found on our GIVE page.

Tips for Driving in the Rain

Ok, friends, since we haven't seen wet roads in months, I feel it my duty to share a few tips for driving safely in the rain - in all seriousness. Please share with new drivers especially. Be careful out there!

1. Roads are most dangerous after the first gentle rain. If it's been dry for days or weeks, that's allowed oil, gasoline, and tire residue to build up on the roads. Add a lite covering of rain to those chemicals and traction is DRAMATICALLY reduced. The first rain after an extended dry spell is almost as dangerous as ice on the roads. Drive with great care and brake early.

An “oil rainbow” on asphalt. This is what happens when a lite rain falls after an extended period of dry days. It isn’t strong enough to fully wash the chemicals off the roads, leaving conditions extremely slick.

2. Good tires matter much more in the rain. Those grooves in our tires are pointless in dry weather, but in the wet, are essential for channeling water away from your tires to prevent hydroplaning. The minimum safe depth for those channels is 3/32's of an inch... but who of us has a depth gauge handy! So just grab a penny and stick it in the groove with Abe's head facing down. If you can still see the top of Abe's head, time for a new tire! And remember to check the grooves on the inner, middle, and outer edge of each tire since they can wear differently. Replace when even just one channel becomes too low.

This tire is done. DO NOT DRIVE in the rain on a tire that fails the penny test.

3. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever try to drive through standing water (exception: dedicated off-road vehicles on trails driven by people who know what they're doing). If water gets into your engine or computer systems, your vehicle is likely ruined. And if it's rapidly moving water, it doesn't take much to catch a vehicle in the current and endanger your life. It's never worth it.

This car is probably just seconds away from total, permanent breakdown. If even a little water gets into the engine, it can “hydrolock” causing pistons and rods to break and destroy the block.

Client 155: Supporting an Army Veteran

We hate to see military veterans in need of our services. A reliable vehicle should be the least of their worries when returning to civilian life. Yet we can also rejoice, because as our most recent client proves, when a veteran is in need, this community truly answers the call. Donald is an Army veteran and single dad raising his kindergarten-age daughter and caring for his ailing mom. He plays the drums in his church’s worship band and works for the city of Bryan. But when his previous vehicle died, all of that hard work was jeopardized. Not only could he no longer get to his job, he couldn’t get his daughter to school or himself to the nearest VA hospital 90 miles away for doctor’s appointments. With used vehicle prices rising 50% in the last two years, far outstripping wage growth, there was simply no way he could afford the vehicle he needed.

Fortunately, a marine veteran and fellow church leader named Khadija noticed Donald’s need. She nominated him to OnRamp and we quickly got to work. Once approved, we needed to raise the funds for a vehicle large enough to fit him and his family. That’s when you, our generous donors stepped up, along with a wonderful local veterans support organization, Brazos Valley Cares. They donated $10,000 to his case, and with the additional financial support of our donors, we purchased a reliable Toyota Rav4 for Donald. And here’s the best part. Our OnRamp vehicle acquisition volunteer, who happens to also be an Army veteran himself, Joe DeWolf, found and purchased the vehicle here in Texas from another Marine veteran! So that’s three veterans plus a veterans organization stepping up to help this worthy Army veteran in need! What a great community!

Thank you, as always, to Christian Brothers Automotive for repairing and prepping the vehicle for Donald, along with our whole team of interviewers and care providers who welcomed Donald into the OnRamp family. We’re grateful for this opportunity to serve a veteran and his daughter and mother in their moment of need.

From Homeless to Homeowners

Over the years, we have heard many stories of transformative growth in the lives of our clients, but few are as powerful as the McDonald family. James and Shauner were nominated to us by Family Promise and gifted a Honda Accord in December of 2019. Here is their story as told by James (edited for length).

OnRamp helped us in several ways that we are so thankful for, that it's difficult to put into words. While I was working in Tulsa, we were informed that the owner of the home we were renting in BCS was going to sell. He gave us 42 days to get out. I was in a bind as my employer told me that if I left Tulsa (to help move my family), I would lose my job. I stayed in Tulsa for as long as I could to make as much money as I could before coming home and moving the family out of the rental and into a hotel. Living in hotels while trying to find a home for rent and having no income was costly and exhausted all of our resources which led to us staying in a shelter.

This is where we learned about OnRamp and ended up being nominated by one of the workers from the shelter. The blessing of being approved for a vehicle allowed us the ability to accept a job and move out of the shelter and back into a home.

Since being blessed with the vehicle, we have both been back at work and now are in the process of finding and purchasing a new home. I have since moved on to another company that allows me to work from home and pays more. Shauner is also working full time and we have purchased a second vehicle. Our daughter is now enrolled at a premiere charter school and is getting all A’s. To think that this all started because we were blessed with the ability to get around and become gainfully employed has led to more blessings than we can count.

We are now pursuing the possibility of blessing someone else with a vehicle through OnRamp as well. That is our goal for later this year.

Since sending us this letter a few months ago, James and Shauner have purchased a home of their own. From homeless to homeowners in just a few years through the gift of reliable transportation!

If you want to make a transformative impact for the Lord in the lives of local families like the McDonald’s, please consider donating to our ministry by clicking “GIVE” and/or volunteering with us by clicking “JOIN US”.

Client 153, Dialysis, and Deacons

Hilario G., client 153: first client as far as I can remember who when I finished praying for him, grabbed my hand and prayed over me and OnRamp. He's in dialysis 3 times a week for the last 3 years but still makes time to care for his family, serve as a mentor to new dialysis patients, and volunteer in ministry through his church. His previous car was literally stolen while he was hooked up to a dialysis machine ! Not only did that threaten his current treatment, but also his hope of a transplant. You can't qualify for a transplant without proof of reliable, personal transportation to get to and from the transplant hospital in Houston. Now he has a reliable car to get back to treatment and, lord-willing, on the transplant list.

Two personal thoughts.

(1) As I've said many times before, we're not the heroes in these stories. Our clients are. They are not just surviving, they are serving and sacrificing to meet the needs around them even when they don't have the reliable transportation we take for granted everyday. Just imagine what they can do with the tool of a dependable vehicle!

(2) This particular client helps me answer the questions, "What is OnRamp in God's economy and what role do I play in His church?" I think I'm beginning to understand. We who are privileged to work in faith-based charities like OnRamp are the Deacons of God's Church. Hilario, like most of our clients, is a believer and fellow servant in God's church who happens to urgently need material assistance in the form of a vehicle. Based on Acts 6, the deacons are called to lead the church in meeting this need. In our modern, mutli-denominational, socio-economically stratified world, that's no longer doable for individual local churches. The cost and expertise required are too high for most small churches. So God creates faith-based charities to pool the efforts of the universal church in a particular community to meet the needs of brothers and sisters like Hilario. We, of course, also serve those who do not identify as Christians - we would never discriminate based on beliefs - but a core part of our service is to our Acts 6 brothers and sisters in need. So, that's a complex way of saying that if you're wondering where OnRamp, Habitat for Humanity, SOS Ministries, Unbound, APO, etc fit into the Church and God's economy... I think we're the deacons. That said, I'm not an expert Just my opinion on how all this fits together.

If you can help OnRamp continue serving those in need, including many fellow believers, we have 12 more fully-approved clients awaiting vehicles that we haven't yet had the funds to purchase. Please visit our website and click "Give" to partner with us to serve the next amazing client.

Pictures shared with permission.