Dear Friends,
I would like you to push your focus out into 2023 for some early planning. The factors that I would like to emphasize are volunteer recruitment, local funding and rate of construction.
I would like you each to consider a Saturday when we can do a blitz (a build of five or more ramps, the more the better), which will allow us to publicize your efforts in the local media (TV, newspapers) and other media like Facebook/Meta. You have the whole year ahead of you, so it doesn’t need to be in January or February. Just send us an email reserving a primary month and a backup month.
Initially, we can plan one blitz a month. I will try to join you and help make presentations to your local media. TRP has a marvelous story to tell, and we need to do that more effectively. I think we have been hiding our light under a bushel basket to too great an extent. Let’s let that light shine brightly.
Most gratefully, John
|
|
Hilti Order Update
For those of you who have Hilti Tools on order, the company tells us it has had a staff shortage for several months and is bringing in additional help to clear their backlog. The tools are there, but they need to be refurbished and certified before they can be shipped. Hilti has at least 15 orders from TRP in backlog. Hopefully the tools will be shipped soon.
You WILL get what you requested, just not as soon as you would like.
|
|
Recent Grants and Donations
|
|
Churches provided over $16,000 in donations in August, indicating that churches continue to be a fruitful source of local funding for regions. TRP is dependent on local volunteers to “sell” their churches on placing funding for ramps in their budgets.
Other August grants and donations are as follows:
- $25,000 for McAllen from Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation.
- $15,000 for San Angelo from Mary Ellen Kent Bunyard Foundation.
- $15,000 for statewide use from Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation.
- $12,500 for Abilene from Dian Graves Owen Foundation.
- $10,000 for Amarillo from Louise Bowers Slentz Foundation.
- $10,000 for San Antonio Northwest from Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
- $8,068 for Dallas and statewide from King of Glory Lutheran Church.
- $5,500 for Amarillo from CNS Pantex Community Investment Fund.
- $5,000 for East Texas Van Zandt County from TVEC Charitable Foundation.
- $5,000 for Victoria North from Shiner UMC.
- $3,360 for Austin East from Fayette County Habitat for Humanity.
- $2,816 for San Antonio Northeast from San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness.
- $1,820 for Austin North from Rotary Club of Georgetown Foundation.
- $1,000 for NCT South Ellis County from First UMC Waxahachie.
- $1,000 for Dallas from Texas Instruments.
- $700 for Austin North from First UMC Georgetown.
- $500 for Abilene Scurry County from Snyder Wheels.
- $500 for Austin West from Buchanan West Baptist Church.
- $490 for Houston from Good Shepherd UMC.
- $300 for Abilene Scurry County from First Baptist Church of Snyder.
- $250 for Austin West from Hill Country Fellowship.
- $200 for Abilene Scurry County from Snyder Rotary Club.
- $50 for East Texas Tyler from Garden Valley Baptist Church.
|
|
Keith Henderson has come on board to secure and oversee TRP contracts with Area Agencies on Aging around the state. AAA fee-for-service revenue has shrunk significantly since the beginning of the pandemic. However, we have seen renewed interest from the AAAs of late, and this is a perfect time for Keith to rebuild this program and forge new relationships.
Keith spent over 30 years in the telecommunications industry, including in executive positions with Excel, Frontier, Sprint and Southwestern Bell. From 2013 to 2018 he was an executive and pro bono consultant with Paul Quinn College, focused on improving operational and administrative processes, procedures and compliance. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in management and administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Keith has contacted all 28 statewide AAAs with an introductory note and will follow up with further information and dialog. He plans to keep the regional coordinators informed about any executed contracts, which will include the AAA contacts, billing process and rates. Area coordinators or their assistants will then track ramp builds and invoice the AAAs to receive fee-for-service payments.
|
|
Volunteer of the Month
Jim Hoge
Coordinator for Coryell County
Temple/Belton Region
|
|
The Texas Ramp Project has its share of go-getters, and one extraordinary example is Jim Hoge. Jim was the spark for the Waco region’s successful partnership with Waco Habitat for Humanity, which has become the major donor for that region.
And when he moved to Gatesville, in Coryell County, Jim set up a partnership with the Fort Hood Habitat for Humanity. “They have the interest and the funds,” says Jim, “and we have the know-how and the teams. Clients win. What could be better than that?”
Not that TRP was Jim’s first volunteer endeavor. He and his wife, Marcia, have been involved in many volunteer programs over their 30+ years of marriage, including Habitat and Meals on Wheels. They first got involved with TRP in 2017 while volunteering through their church. They became part of the “Waco Irregulars,” an eclectic bunch that builds about 100 ramps per year. Marcia took on the task of handling paperwork for Habitat and for TRP’s block grant from HUD in the Waco region.
Born in Harlingen, Jim moved to Waco in the 1960s. He graduated from Texas A&M and retired in 2017 after 47 years in direct sales of equipment and fasteners for industrial and home building. His experience allowed him to work with a local building supplier for the best pricing and materials availability when building ramps with TRP.
When the Hoges moved to Gatesville in 2020, Jim teamed up with his son-in-law, Kelly Adair, Coryell Community Church Men’s Group, and Fort Hood Habitat to build ramps in underserved Coryell County. Jim manages construction, and Marcia serves as his “IT department” and handles invoices.
|
|
Jim describes himself as an active guy, easily bored. TRP is a perfect outlet. “I enjoy building things and like to be outdoors and busy. The people in TRP are pretty [darn] remarkable and fun to be around.”
The Hoges are also active when not on a ramp site. They love to travel and have a passion for scuba diving and the Caribbean. They have four daughters, seven grandchildren and a 3-month-old great grandchild. Four of the grandkids have become scuba-certified. Several family members have helped build ramps in Waco and now in Coryell County.
Yes, Jim is a go-getter, driving ramp construction and Habitat partnerships in two counties. The Texas Ramp Project is lucky to have him.
|
Jim and Marcia Hoge with their 2006 Chevy SSR retractable hardtop convertible pickup truck. Jim says they had a lot of fun with it for a few years.
|
|
|
Avoid Burnout—Build Your Staff
|
|
As a region or county coordinator, you can only do so much. That’s why it’s a good idea to seek out volunteers who may not necessarily want to build ramps but have other skills or expertise. These may include database reporters, warehouse managers, volunteer coordinators, publicity managers and fundraisers.
These people may be found just by asking around. They may be spouses or friends of your volunteer builders. They may be members of your church or civic club, just waiting to be asked. They may respond to an appeal on Facebook. Or, if you can get a newspaper or TV spot, tell the public what you need. It is amazing how many people are out there looking for something worthwhile to lend their expertise to—and give them a sense of purpose.
At TRP’s February conference, Austin Central coordinator Randy Kerkman presented a list of roles that are essential for a healthy and functioning region. We are attaching it here. If you are one of those overextended coordinators, take a look at how you might be able to staff for success.
|
|
Video Aid for Recruiting and Fundraising
TRP has developed a brief video for use when you are presenting to a church, civic club or potential donor. It only takes a few minutes, but in words and photos it nicely explains what TRP is all about. You are invited to use this video any time you wish. Just be sure to verbally update the number of ramps built at the end of the video. TRP has just surpassed 23,000 ramps—117 miles of ramps since 1985!
|
|
And don’t forget the tools we have for you on our website. The “About Us” section contains the most recent fact sheet, a history of TRP, a sponsor page, build statistics, financial statements, videos, and other information that you can use to tell others, including the press, about the Texas Ramp Project.
|
|
They’re Here!
Texas Ramp Project Nameplates
|
|
Getting Everything Ready to Install the New TRP Nameplates
Richard Graves, Van Zandt County Coordinator, bought the nameplate screws and pulled a team together to package 10,000 screws into envelopes of 4 screws. What dedication and nimble fingers.
All the regions will be receiving nameplates and screws in September.
|
|
Packaging 4 screws to an envelope
|
|
10,000 screws are "fun" to package
|
|
All done and ready for the regions
|
|
Texas Ramp Project Nameplates
by Madison Lopez
|
|
New nameplates! We are thrilled that our new nameplates will give neighbors and onlookers a chance to know of the impact TRP is making in their communities. These nameplates work to get our name out to more people, build our growing brand, and remind our clients that TRP cares about them. With a nameplate, we are literally "leaving our mark."
|
|
As we begin using these nameplates, please take pictures to show them off. We want to see the nameplates being put to good use across the state. You can take pictures of the signs themselves, or you might include members of your team surrounding the sign. Get creative and get to snapping those pics.
We will be on the lookout for your picture submissions. Some might even be featured in the next newsletter! Remember to follow TRP on our social media platforms and use our designated hashtags, #TRP and #TexasRampProject.
|
|
Remember to follow us on our main social media pages as well.
|
|
Building Basics
by Roy Harrington
|
|
Building Basics
While building a ramp, particularly when installing the plywood, any oddities in the modules will be highlighted and may cause delays if filing, chiseling, or even partial disassembly is required to correct the issue. However, most of these issues can be eliminated when the modules are built.
Creating and Marking a Module’s “Good Side”
Whether you are assembling several modules using a jig in a TRP warehouse or building them on the ground at a client’s home, it is important to pay attention and intentionally create a “good side” on each module. The following picture is an example of the “good side,” where the structure boards will all contact the plywood on a smooth, solid surface.
|
|
 |
It is surprising how different our “dimensional lumber” can be, particularly after it has been treated for ground contact. During module assembly, the builders should select a side and try to make all joints on the selected side of each module flush and not worry about the other side.
The next, very important step, is communicating this to the ramp build team by marking the “good side.” This is easily done with a big Sharpie on the inside surfaces, where it will be visible from either edge by those carrying the module into its final position on the ramp.
While it is most important to create the “good side”, marking it makes the ramp build task much easier. This can even apply when building modules on-site, as any given module may not be immediately installed.
See illustration to the right.
|
|
 |
 |
For the rest of September's "Building Basics" click on the picture below.
|
|
 |
|
Do you have other tips or suggestions to share?
A lot of very good ideas are being developed by ramp builders across the state. Please send any questions, comments or potential ramp construction topics to texasramps.roy@gmail.com to help others build ramps better, stronger and faster.
|
|
Ramp of the Month
Denton County
NCT North Denton Region
|
|
This epic ramp was built by seven volunteers from the Denton County team on a hot July day. Matt McGillen, Denton County coordinator, said that in his 14 years as a TRP volunteer, this was the longest ramp he’d ever built. It clocked in at 74 feet and took 49 man-hours to build. The client, Mr. W., an 89-year-old veteran, recently had a stroke, adding to his other disabling conditions. He uses a wheelchair, but he was only able to leave home if family members carried him down the seven steps at his front door.
|
|
Both Mr. W. and his family are enjoying the new ramp. The referral for this ramp came from Trio Home Health.
|
|
Pass the Newsletter On to Others
|
|
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.
|
|
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 sjkbits@aol.com.
If you prefer to NOT receive the newsletter, you can unsubscribe by emailing sjkbits@aol.com and asking for your name to be removed or use the "Unsubscribe" link below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|