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Newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 6
June 2023
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Message from Sandra Knutson
Director of Administration
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Dear TRP Family,
It was four years ago in June when we ran the first story about builds by teams of young people. Since that time, TRP has become a go-to venue for summer youth work groups on mission. In his article, Youth Builders: A TRP Asset, Roy Harrington elaborates on the variety and strength of these young people and their willingness to be part of TRP’s mission. Also, Randy Kerkman reports on his experience with a Boy Scout working toward his Eagle Award. We are so blessed to have the energy and enthusiasm of youth channeled into changing the lives of so many others, one ramp at a time.
Quite frankly, I’ve lost track of how many U.M. ARMY teams are building with us this summer, but I know they will be working in many regions of the state. For one of the season’s first U.M. ARMY builds, check out the pictures and story from Corpus Christi.
This issue of the newsletter is dedicated to the many young people who are building with us this summer as well as those who build throughout the year. Hopefully, their experiences will engender a volunteer spirit that will be an essential part of their lives going forward. For their time, labor and enthusiasm, we are truly thankful.
It has been a busy and exciting several months for TRP. We have tried to capture some of that momentum in this newsletter. After all, you are the ones who make our work with TRP so rewarding. You provide our neighbors with freedom to come and go safely. What a gift that is!
Gratefully,
Sandy Knutson
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Youth Builders: A TRP Asset
By Roy Harrington
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My involvement with TRP began while I was an adult leader for a church youth mission trip in Bridgeport, and youth continue to be a significant part of my TRP experience.
Each summer, youth from high school age to young adults in college participate in U.M. ARMY camps across the state.
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A few churches run their own mission trips, and this summer Humanitarian XP has youth from across the country serving in Texas. Each of these missions presents an opportunity for youth to help TRP build freedom for the homebound, often in areas of the state where we do not have teams or cannot keep up with the demand for ramps.
However, summer mission trips are just one of the ways youth can participate in TRP ramp builds. Throughout the year, many TRP regions partner with the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), Scouts, National Honor Society and other student organizations where service hours are earned and ramps get built.
In all these cases, the youth experience teamwork, problem solving and other valuable skills like how to operate a drill for driving screws into lumber, all of which can be used later in life. I know that some will remember their high school experience building ramps as they become adults because I have witnessed it more than once in the past year. Being in the Bryan/College Station region, I get to build with college student groups. I know the leaders of two of the groups who sought out TRP because of their high school experience, one with YMSL and the other through church mission trips.
If you have an opportunity to partner with a youth organization in your region, do not hesitate to make it happen, because this is where some future TRP build team leaders, region coordinators and board members can be found. If you have questions or need assistance, we have current build team leaders, region coordinators and board members who have worked with youth on build sites, and they would be happy to help.
From the June 2019 Newsletter: “If you get the chance to interact with a youth mission group this summer, please thank them for their help.”
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U. M. Army Overcomes Odds |
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Summer Building Reminders |
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Canopies. Make sure canopies cover the ramp during construction and also shade the miter saw. During construction, move the canopy down as you go. It is important to put up the canopies before you start building to make sure your volunteers are protected from the start. There should be two canopies on each site.
Schedule earlier. Try to schedule the summer builds as early as 7 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day. Everybody can get home an hour earlier, too.
Hydrate! It is critical that we keep our volunteers hydrated by having plenty of water on site. Also consider providing cooling towels that can be placed around the neck for a faster cool-down.
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Surprise - Family Spots Family |
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TRP was front and center with publicity at the Texas State Lions Convention in Fort Worth in May. Henry Wyckoff, Amarillo coordinator, and Mark Hinzman, TRP’s board member overseeing corporate relations, were manning the table when Mandy Hagy, an officer in her local Lions Club, came up to them. She was thrilled to spot her mother, Kay Geurin, Austin South and San Antonio Northeast coordinator, pictured on TRP’s new banner display.
The Lions Club convention was just one of many events and meetings this spring at which TRP had a presence and opportunity to tell our story.
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Eagle Scout Journey and TRP |
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Randy Kerkman, Austin Central region coordinator, writes: “I had the opportunity to work with Douglas Goodman on his Eagle Scout Project. The planning began last September and culminated with a 32-foot ramp, built by 14 scouts and leaders/parents from Troop 413 on Saturday, March 25, 2023. Douglas secured funding from the Optimist Club and Knights of Columbus. During spring break, a week before the build, the Scouts met and built the modules for the ramp.”
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Here's what Douglas wrote regarding the project:
Mr. Kerkman,
I'd like to thank you and the Texas Ramp Project for your guidance and support throughout the journey of my Eagle Scout project. With your help, Troop 413 was able to give an older couple an easy later life. The couple, Mr. and Mrs. V., were really thankful for the ramp, so now I am extending the gratitude to you. The scouts and the adults had a powerful experience putting together the ramp.
We never would have been able to do this without the Texas Ramp Project or without Mr. Kerkman's instruction. He is an excellent representative of the organization, and we appreciate all he did to navigate build dates and locations, but also the expertise he provided the day of the build. I also had a good time with the ramp construction, and what’s also important to me personally is that this marks a step closer to my Eagle Rank in scouting.
Thanks immensely,
Douglas B Goodman
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M. and Mrs. V. will both be using this new ramp. Mrs. V. uses a cane, and her husband uses a wheelchair. As the before picture illustrates, the make-shift ramp was slanted and completely unsafe. Their new ramp will make entering and exiting so much easier and safer. |
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Correction
In the May 2023 Newsletter, the attribution for this photo of the teardown ramp was incorrectly listed as Huntsville. The correct city is Greenville, in Hunt County, the home of the Golden K Kiwanis team.
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TRP Earns GuideStar Rating
GuideStar has announced that the Texas Ramp Project has earned its 2023 Gold Seal of Transparency for the sixth year in a row.
GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. A GuideStar Seal of Transparency indicates that a nonprofit has provided key information in its nonprofit profile.
Make sure to liberally share this information with your referral sources, local donors and potential funding sources. This is really a wonderful accomplishment for which you can be very excited and proud.
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Volunteer of the Month: Will Reese |
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Will Reese, TRP Hunt County coordinator, is a retired engineer. So are a lot of his ramp-building partners at the Greenville Golden K Kiwanis. And this, Will says, leads to an interesting challenge: “Trying to keep a bunch of old retired engineers on track to build the ramp and not redesign it.”
Will joined the Golden K Kiwanis years ago to get involved with community service. He joined the ramp-building team led by Tom McAllister. After Tom’s retirement last year, Will stepped up. He manages surveys, volunteers and builds as well as the donated warehouse. He also enjoys recruiting young men and women from the high school Key Club to participate.
Will was born in Hope, Arkansas, but grew up in Dallas and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. After four years in the Air Force, including service in Viet Nam, he went to work for E-Systems, which became Raytheon and L3. He has lived in Hunt County since 1979.
The need is great, Will says, and the work rewarding. “We have had some clients who have cried tears of joy when we got their ramp completed. The best part is the appreciation we get from clients. That ranges from hugs to lunch—everything from homemade stew to pizza.”
Will and Marcy, his wife of 52 years, have two children—a son and a daughter—and live in the country, where they raise goats, chickens (for eggs, not for meat: “I did that once and it was more than I want to do again”), and “one stubborn donkey.” He loves to garden and has plenty of blueberries, cantaloupe and watermelon in season. They attend Creekside Church of Christ.
Travel also figures into the Reeses’ schedule. Their daughter teaches overseas, and they have visited her in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and Argentina. She is currently teaching in South Korea, so another trip may be in the offing. They also make frequent trips to Kansas to visit their three grandchildren.
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Recent Grants and Donations |
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Major funding in May came from the Hillcrest Foundation, which awarded $35,000 for use throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. These funds will be dispersed to the many counties surrounding the much larger Dallas and Tarrant counties. Many of these smaller counties do not have funding sources, so this grant is most welcome. Other May grants and donations included the following:
- $20,000 for San Antonio Northwest from The Perry and Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation.
- $10,000 for San Angelo from The Art and Eva Camuñez Tucker Foundation.
- $10,000 for Dallas from North Texas Fair Housing Center.
- $5,000 for NCT East Hunt County from Farmers Electric Charitable Foundation.
- $4,500 for NCT South Ellis County from Waxahachie Foundation.
- $3,459 for San Angelo from San Angelo Area Foundation.
- $3,000 for Austin East from Vietnam Veterans of America.
- $2,143 for Houston from Good Shepherd Church Cypress.
- $2,000 for East Texas Tyler from First Christian Church.
- $2,000 for East Texas Jacksonville from Austin Bank.
- $1,565 for Waco South from Waco Habitat for Humanity.
- $1,500 for Dallas from Texas Instruments Foundation.
- $895 for Waco North Hill County from White Bluff Chapel.
- $600 for East Texas Tyler from Sonrise Prayer Ministries.
- $500 for Austin East from St. James Episcopal Church Men’s Club.
- $379 for Austin West from The Church at Horseshoe Bay.
- $350 for Austin West from Hill Country Fellowship.
- $299 for Bryan/College Station from St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church.
- $250 for Austin North from First United Methodist Church.
- $116 for San Antonio Central from Abiding Presence Lutheran Church.
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To build ramps, every region needs referrals, volunteers and funding, but if no one knows about us, all will be in short supply. All these resources are local to the region, and that means local media is one of the best ways of reaching potential volunteers and donors.
It is very challenging for the build team leader to also get photos of the build, stories from team members, and interviews of clients—all valuable for marketing the work being done. Having a separate person dedicated to this task can be most helpful. The photos and stories then need to be shared through TV, newspapers and social media.
There may also be special occasions where it is better to invite the media to builds. This was done when TRP celebrated its “100 Miles of Ramps” milestone. Media opportunities may also need to be tailored to the audience, whether it be for fundraising, seeking volunteers, or just general information about the organization. This can be done by the region coordinator and/or the team leaders, but again it is usually at the expense of other tasks and likely less polished and frequent than needed.
In smaller volume regions, most volunteers wear many TRP hats, but having a person dedicated to promoting the work being done by the Texas Ramp Project through all local and social media can be a very valuable asset as a region grows. The overall focus is building ramps, but it will not happen without referrals, volunteers and funding. So maybe you don’t want to build ramps, but you, or someone you know, may still want to help.
Contact your region coordinator, Sandy Knutson, or any board member for more information or to volunteer to help with publicity or any of the many needed roles in every TRP region.
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In Memory of Beverly Ford |
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It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Beverly Ford. Beverly headed up TRP efforts in the North Central Texas region and Tarrant County from TRP’s earliest days, driving her truck and hauling lumber to build sites throughout the region until her retirement in 2020. She also served on the TRP board of directors.
Beverly was one of the most organized, generous and dedicated people most of us have ever known, and her work resulted in many hundreds of ramps for North Texans. She also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, Lewisville Public Library, Lewisville Fire Department Reserves, and Christian Community Action.
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Her 12 years volunteering in the Medical City Lewisville Emergency Department resulted in her being awarded the National Frist Humanitarian Award in Nashville in 2016. Heartfelt condolences to her husband Ron and son Jerrold Ford. |
Beverly Ford was invited to a Rough Riders game in Frisco several years ago by CoServ, Inc., to celebrate the electric coop’s partnership with the Texas Ramp Project. A CoServ build team leader escorted her onto the field. CoServ has supported TRP since 2015. |
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RAMP OF THE MONTH: Wichita County
Wichita Falls Region
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Ms. J., 67, was unable to safely maneuver the 7 steps to her home due to a history of strokes and falls. Having a ramp will make her ability to enter and exit her home much safer. Thirteen volunteers from Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and the Navy Seabee students from Sheppard AFB donated 59 hours to build Ms. J.’s new 48-foot ramp. Angels Care Home Health made this referral. |
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We hope you enjoy having the newsletter sent to you directly, as it is filled with useful information, building hints and tips, data collection updates and processes, client stories, special announcements and recognitions.
The newsletter only does its job when it is dispersed and shared with all who might be interested. We encourage you to liberally pass it on to others in your region.
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Also, do send email addresses of people in your region who should be receiving it, along with their name and TRP region, to Sandy Knutson at sjknutson@texasramps.org.
If you prefer to NOT receive the newsletter, you can unsubscribe by emailing sjknutson@texasramps.org and asking for your name to be removed or use the "Unsubscribe" link below.
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