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Newsletter
Volume 8, Issue 2
February 2026
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Message from Mark Denzin
Texas Ramp Project Executive Director
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Building Safely, Building Well
At the Texas Ramp Project, safety isn’t about slowing down the work. It’s about making sure everyone can fully enjoy it. When our build sites are safe, organized and welcoming, we create a better experience for our longtime volunteers and for those picking up a drill with us for the very first time.
As we continue to grow and welcome new hands into the field, being intentional about safety helps us anticipate challenges before they arise, reduce stress on build days, and ensure everyone leaves feeling accomplished and eager to return.
Preparation is our strongest tool. Clear site planning, defined roles, and a brief orientation at the start of each build set the tone for success. When volunteers know what to expect—and who to turn to with questions—they can focus on doing their best work. For new volunteers especially, a little upfront guidance builds confidence and connection.
Experience matters, and sharing it makes us stronger. Pairing seasoned builders with newer volunteers creates natural mentorship, spreads best practices, and reinforces a culture where questions are encouraged. This approach not only improves safety but also strengthens relationships and teamwork on every site.
Communication helps keep builds running smoothly. Simple check-ins throughout the day help us adjust to changing conditions, weather or site constraints. Calling out potential issues early allows us to solve them together and keeps the build moving efficiently.
Care for the site is care for each other. Maintaining clean work areas, managing tools thoughtfully, and taking short breaks when needed helps everyone stay focused and energized. Strategies such as sun-shading canopies and ample hydration in the summer can add up to safer, more enjoyable build days.
At the end of the day, safety at TRP is about creating an environment where people feel supported, valued, and proud of the work they’re doing. When we build thoughtfully, we don’t just construct ramps—we build trust, confidence, and a volunteer experience that brings people back again and again.
Thank you for the care you bring to every build site. Together, we’re building access, and doing it well.
Together, let’s keep building.
Mark
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Tips for Staying Safe While Building Ramps
Safe Use of Saws
- Safety is everyone’s business, particularly when using power tools. Only seasoned volunteers/team leaders should use the power saws.
- Always take extra measures when setting up the saws to make sure they are seated correctly.
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When using saws, do not wear gloves, as they can get caught in the saw with disastrous results. The gloves can pull the hand into the saw.
- Also, when operating a saw, wear safety glasses to protect the eyes from flying bits and pieces or from a breeze that could blow sawdust into the eyes.
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Use of Canopies
- There should be two canopies on each site: one to cover the area of the miter saw, and one to put over the ramp during construction.
- As you build the ramp, move the canopy down as you go to keep workers covered.
- Even if it feels cool early in the morning, be sure to put up the canopies before you start building. As the sun gets higher in the sky, you don’t want to slow up the build by stopping to put up the canopy.
- Make sure that all of your volunteers are protected.
Keep Cool and Hydrated
- Have plenty of water on site. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
- Consider providing cooling towels that volunteers can place around their necks to keep cooler.
- Try to schedule the summer builds as early as 7 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day.
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Ramp Moves Passerby to Poetry
Richard Fink was building a ramp on February 21 with youth from YMSL and Grace Covenant Church in Austin. During the build a young man passing by noticed what they were doing and was moved to go home and write a poem. He came back while the group was packing up and gave them the poem.
The young man was Southern Longoria, an Austin writer/poet/actor. You can see more of his poems on Instagram. He is an inspiration to us all. View the poem here.
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Numotion Foundation Fetes Texas Ramp Project
In February the Numotion Foundation, a long-time TRP supporter, published an Impact Story on its website about how a TRP ramp changed the life of a Dallas veteran. The foundation’s mission is to support people and causes that work toward enhancing the lives of people with disabilities in communities of common interest. Through its charitable giving, partner organizations such as ALS Association and Muscular Dystrophy Association will fund research and other necessary support services. The foundation has been providing yearly donations for TRP ramps since 2020. View the article here.
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We look forward to Yazmin’s return with all that joy and enthusiasm!" | | |
Happiness Is Helping Build a Ramp
If you have never built a ramp and wondered how you’d feel, look no further. It is reflected all over Yazmin Jackson, vice president of Beyond the Diagnosis Foundation. On February 21 Yazmin and other volunteers from the foundation turned out to build a ramp for 84-year-old James B., a long-time resident of Nacogdoches County.
Last year James almost died from multiple illnesses that hit him all at once. He and his wife both are using walkers and a wheelchair. It took a total of 14 volunteers to help Deep East Texas region coordinator Lee Harris with the 40-foot ramp. The others were from First Church of the Nazarene, Brookshire Brothers and Make It Happen Missions.
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Volunteer of the Month: John Hines, Labor of Love, East Texas Athens
A true labor of love. That’s what it is for John Hines, long-time volunteer and project manager for Athens-based nonprofit Labor of Love. Since joining up with Labor of Love in 2017, John has worked on over 230 jobs: porches, landings, stairs, floors, doors, bathrooms, grab bars, A/C installations—and ramps.
Labor of Love has been the Texas Ramp Project’s partner in ramp construction in Henderson County since 2014. And John Hines has been involved because it makes him part of a community of men and women who care about the clients, try to understand their needs, and “are willing to work to help improve their situation however they can.”
John was born in Detroit and raised in California, spending a lot of summers in construction jobs. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley with a mechanical engineering degree, he worked in the upstream oil and gas industry for 41 years in Houston and Midland. Always a volunteer, he was a Boy Scout leader and Sunday School teacher, and he built with U.M. ARMY for several years. When he moved to Henderson County, he found Labor of Love.
To John, Labor of Love has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his life. That comes from “seeing the joy on the faces of our clients after our work is complete and knowing that we have helped make their home more functional.” He also serves as vice president of the nonprofit.
One of John’s recent jobs was a ramp repair, which he handled on his own. The ramp had a huge hole in it and was no longer safe for the client. John removed the old section and replaced it so it is now back in use. Hard to imagine a more grateful recipient.
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Labor of Love: A Perfect Partnership
Back in about 2014, the East Texas Tyler region coordinator, the late George Cronin, realized that another nonprofit was building wheelchair ramps in nearby Henderson County. After a meeting at Whataburger (where else?), a partnership was formed. From that point on, Labor of Love volunteers started building TRP ramp referrals right along with those they received through their own referral system.
According to administrative coordinator Amy Presley, Labor of Love recorded nearly 1,000 projects in the past seven years, including 316 wheelchair ramps. TRP provided 152 of those referrals, with the rest through Labor of Love’s referral system. In 2025 the nonprofit’s volunteers built a total of 60 ramps in Henderson County.
Labor of Love goes back almost as far as the Texas Ramp Project. Founded by a group of Henderson County churches, Labor of Love incorporated as a nonprofit in 1989.Their mission was to provide home repairs free of charge, year-round, to homeowners in Henderson County who can no longer maintain their homes due to age, disability or other circumstances beyond their control. Unlike TRP, which concentrates on ramps, LOL volunteers enter homes to do repairs, modifications and adaptations.
“This partnership has allowed LOL to help more clients needing ramps,” says Amy. As the coordinator, she personally visits each client to see the need first-hand, not only for ramps but much-needed home repairs. The nonprofit currently has six volunteer project managers and 45 volunteer workers and raises their own funds, with TRP paying for many of the ramps built from our referrals.
The Texas Ramp Project is proud to work with a partner with as much experience, dedication and heart as Labor of Love. In 2025 they completed 162 projects.
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Remembering Tyler's George Cronin
George Cronin, founding coordinator of the East Texas Tyler region, died February 2 at the age of 88. His memorial service was held February 9. George joined the Texas Ramp Project in 2008, leading 11 builds that first year. By the time he retired in 2022, Tyler region volunteers had built more than 1,150 ramps for residents of Smith and, to a lesser extent, Henderson counties. George was also active in St. Vincent de Paul and Hospice of East Texas and in 2016 was awarded the Bishop Herzig Award for outstanding service within the Catholic Community. He will be remembered for his leadership, dedication and stellar sense of humor.
| | We're Bullish on Volunteers in Rains County. | |
State Farm Extends Partnership
State Farm has again favored the Texas Ramp Project, this time with a $60,000 award to be used in Dallas, Tarrant and seven other North Texas counties. State Farm and TRP began their partnership by providing service opportunities for the company’s employees in the Dallas area. TRP received our first grant of $25,000 in 2019. Since then State Farm has awarded over $259,000 to TRP, $20,000 of which was earmarked for Central and South Texas. The last two grants—for $50,000 and $60,000—have been expanded for use in the larger North Central Texas area.
| | Recent Grants and Donations | | |
New grants and donations received in the past month include the following:
- $60,000 for Dallas and North Texas from State Farm.
- $35,000 for Statewide use from Harry E. & Eda L. Montandon Charitable Trust.
- $14,489 for Dallas and statewide from King of Glory Lutheran Church.
- $10,000 for Dallas from 200 Muslim Women Who Care.
- $7,500 for Dallas from Sparks Osteopathic Foundation.
- $5,000 for Austin North from Rotary Club of Georgetown Foundation.
- $5,000 for Wichita Falls from J.S. Bridwell Foundation.
- $5,000 for Abilene from Greathouse Foundation.
- $4,000 for Texarkana North and Fannin County from St. Joseph’s Community Foundation.
- $2,750 for Dallas and Denton from Texas Instruments Foundation.
- $2,500 for Wichita Falls from Bryant Edwards Foundation, Inc.
- $2,500 for San Antonio Northeast from New Braunfels Lions Charities, Inc.
- $2,209 for Waco South from Waco Habitat for Humanity.
- $2,000 for Dallas from Senior Handyman Service/Kiwanis McKinney.
- $1,532 for Houston from Lakewood Methodist Church.
- $1,500 for Austin East from McBroom Clinic, P.A.
- $1,500 for San Antonio Central from Oak Hills Church.
- $1,200 for East Texas Tyler from First Baptist Church of Tyler.
- $1,000 for Bryan/College Station from Washington County Cares.
- $1,000 for Deep East Texas from Brookshire Brothers Charitable Foundation.
- $1,000 for Austin East from Fayette County General Fund.
- $890 for Austin East from New Life Methodist Church.
- $804 for Austin West from The Church at Horseshoe Bay.
- $550 for Austin West from Hill Country Fellowship.
- $500 for Abilene from Snyder Lions Club.
- $250 for Austin East from St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church La Grange.
- $350 for Austin East from St. John Lutheran WELCA Rutersville.
- $100 for East Texas Tyler from Langen/Wink Bible Class.
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Ramp of the Month, Victoria County
Victoria South Region
| | Ms. Cindy S., 70 of Victoria, was referred by Main Street Health. Cindy has multiple disabling conditions. Her home had a ramp, but it was too steep and lacked side rails. This made it almost impossible for her to use it safely. Five students and their teacher from the carpentry class at Victoria College donated 15 hours of labor in building a beautiful new 36 foot ramp. | | Click on the logo below to access the TRP website. | | |
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.
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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.
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