Our Story
Meeting the need
OnRamp DFW is a Dallas transplant of OnRamp TX, which was born from the vision of Blake and Julie Jennings in Brazos County, TX. A car guy with a heart to serve, Blake often volunteered to help single moms in the community with their car troubles - which led to he and Julie noticing a theme of individuals and families being trapped in cycles of poverty after losing a vehicle or reliable transportation. Their subsequent research opened their eyes to the large segment of society that has been shut out of work, education, civil, and social opportunities due to the lack of a vehicle. This segment has mostly attracted the attention of predatory businesses, which has only furthered the cycle of poverty. With the dual goals of helping these individuals and families become self-sustaining and getting the entire community involved in the process, Blake and Julie founded OnRamp TX out of the overwhelming desire to share the grace of God, which has been richly shared with them.
The DFW team came together during the COVID-19 pandemic, when their unified motivation to help those who were the most affected aligned with the Jennings’ desire to plant more OnRamp locations in Texas. Connected by friendship and their place of worship, Woodcreek Church in Richardson, this group providentially possessed the different skills needed to form a team and the local support to get off the ground. (See Storyteller Spotlight below)
In DFW, transport poverty is greater than most parts of the country. As of 2020, approximately 17,000 families in Dallas cannot afford a vehicle, yet there are very few public and private resources going toward this deficiency, which often leads families into a cycle of poverty. Without a vehicle in DFW, most families cannot obtain jobs that pay enough to get ahead and reach the next step of self-sufficiency.
OnRamp DFW’s goal is to share God’s grace and a working vehicle with those in need of reliable transportation, and to provide a place where the DFW community can donate used vehicles that will be used to give their neighbors a hand-up.