2025 Year in Review
Steady & Meaningful Momentum
New Year’s Eve is an odd moment every year. In almost every practical way, nothing will be different tomorrow than it is today. Twenty-four hours doesn’t usually bring dramatic change to someone’s life. Families, jobs, health, finances. Most things don’t radically shift overnight
And yet, when that 24 hours marks the end of a full rotation around the Sun, everything feels different. We set new goals. We reconsider our habits. We look back on the year behind us with a kind of clarity we don’t often allow ourselves at any other point on the calendar. A New Year feels like a new starting point. A fresh moment
That sense of newness and possibility is the same feeling we had the privilege of witnessing 25 times this year, as families and individuals in our community received reliable vehicles and stepped onto a steadier road toward self-sufficiency.
A photo from each of our giveaways this year! Photos of just vehicles were to clients whose identity needs to be kept private.
2025 has been a year of meaningful growth for OnRamp DFW. It’s been the kind of year where progress shows up in one-on-one conversations, in integrity with keeping our word to our clients, in moves of faith that don’t always make sense, and in lives changing because a barrier was removed at just the right time.
For us, providing a vehicle is not an end in itself. It’s a way of sharing God’s grace in a practical, tangible form, that allows for wonderful and hard-working people to move toward greater stability.
At the heart of 2025 were the individuals and families who received the gift of transportation, paired with a full year of maintenance, follow-up, and care. We watched people keep jobs they might have lost without a car. We saw others accept opportunities they couldn’t reach before, and build new routines that no longer depended on borrowed rides or crossed fingers.
We do this work because of the love of Jesus. A love that meets people where they are and invites them into a restored place of hope. Time and again this year, we were reminded that when we act in faith and obedience, God provides.
I’ve said often this year that God will provide exactly what we need in order to do the work that He has called us to do. And in 2025, we saw that provision show up in very real ways through finances, donated vehicles, relationships, and volunteers.
That alone would have made 2025 worth celebrating. But it wasn’t the only thing that moved us forward.
A Year of Meaningful Milestones
This year was marked by several important moments of growth with each one adding strength and sustainability to the work of OnRamp DFW.
• Hiring our first Executive Director
In August, OnRamp DFW took a significant step by bringing me on as the first Executive Director—a role I was honored to step into. This transition marked a new season for the organization, focused on building systems, deepening relationships, and preparing OnRamp DFW for thoughtful, purposeful growth without losing what makes it special.
• Expanding partnerships across the city
We developed relationships with dozens of new local organizations: nonprofits, churches, and community partners who help us identify needs, support clients holistically, and stay closely connected to the realities of our communities. These partnerships reminded us that not only is the need bigger than we imagined, but also that impact is always stronger when shared.
• Serving 25 clients with comprehensive support
As said above, this was not just vehicles, but maintenance, check-ins, and follow-up. A full year of care allows us not only to ensure that our endeavors are actually doing good in the community, but also allows us to celebrate with our clients when new things arise! This continues to be the heart of OnRamp DFW’s mission, and in 2025 we saw just how powerful long-term support can be.
• Strengthening board leadership
We welcomed new board members this year, each bringing fresh perspective, experience, and commitment to our mission. Their presence has already sharpened our strategy and brought new life to the organization.
• Growing every volunteer team
Across the board, our volunteer teams grew with faith-filled people willing to give time and skill to make this work possible. The sacrifice that each and every one of our volunteers puts into serving our clients is incredible.
Stepping Into Leadership
On a personal note, stepping into the Executive Director role this year has been both grounding and stretching. OnRamp DFW was built with care and conviction long before I arrived, and my role has been to help steward that vision into its next chapter.
I’m deeply grateful for the trust of our board, volunteers, and supporters during this transition, as well as for the grace extended to me since August when I took on the role.
As followers of Jesus, gratitude is not just something we feel, it’s something that affects our actions. Every story and every milestone points back to a God who is faithful and attentive to the details.
As the year comes to an end, what I feel most strongly is gratitude.
To our supporters & donors: your generosity in 2025 translated directly into reliability, dignity, and opportunity for people who needed it most. You turned belief into action.
To our volunteers: you are the steady presence behind every success story.
And to everyone who has been part of OnRamp DFW’s story this year, thank you for gathering around this work, for trusting it, and for helping it grow.
As we look toward 2026, we do so with hope, clarity, and confidence. There is more to do.
With gratitude,
Taylor Russell
Executive Director, OnRamp DFW
