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Volume 5, Issue 4
April 2023

Message from John Laine
Executive Director Texas Ramp Project

Dear Friends,

My days as executive director of the Texas Ramp Project are dwindling down.
I believe that an infusion of both new and seasoned leadership will be beneficial to all concerned and TRP will continue to thrive and grow.

Our primary focus remains that our clients receive the best care possible. I trust that TRP will continue to provide them with improved safety for getting in and out of their homes and leading more productive lives with their families and friends.

I hope to be able to personally thank each of you before I leave since our success has been a result of YOUR efforts.

Thanks so much,
John

Habitat Partnerships Expand to More Regions
The Texas Ramp Project is expanding its partnership with Habitat for Humanity (HFH) affiliates across Texas. The relationship began in 2020 in TRP’s Waco South Region, when region coordinator Steve Jackson asked the Waco HFH affiliate if they could fund ramps for clients that they referred to TRP. The answer was “Yes,” and HFH has since expanded their support to fund dozens of TRP ramps each year.

Waco HFH executive director John Alexander is a big proponent of the partnership. Last August he promoted it at the HFH state conference and shared this perspective: “This is a great partnership between two established nonprofits.
Habitat for Humanity has almost no overhead, and we are very pleased to be working with a partner with a similar model who is an expert in building wheelchair ramps.”

TRP has also established partnerships with HFH affiliates in Fayette County, Fort Hood, Pasadena, Corpus Christi, Northeast Texas (Longview) and Amarillo. Other affiliates are interested in providing ramps. Because of the escalating cost of land tied to new home builds, many HFH affiliates are hoping to increase their impact via home repair services, which often include ramps.

If you have any questions regarding TRP’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity, contact Mark Hinzman at 682-304-4268 or mhinzman@texasramps.org.
Build in Coryell County, Temple Belton funded by Habitat for Humanity
Hilti Tool Update
Hilti has provided more than $24,000 in tools since the beginning of the year. There are still outstanding orders. If you are one of those individuals who has not received your tools, please forward your original tool order to Gary Stopani – glstopani@verizon.net.

Hopefully we will see the remaining orders fulfilled soon.
Referral Refresher
Gary Gatzlaff, the TRP board member who fields email and phone questions, gets about 25 to 30 calls every day, the vast majority from individuals who want or need a ramp. Although he is happy to answer questions, the bottom line is always the same: You need to get a referral from a qualified health care provider or social worker.

The reason is that because TRP provides ramps only to low-income people, the referrals need to come from an agency or other source that can qualify the person is low income by their standards. That’s why TRP does not take referrals from individuals, neighbors, families, pastors, or others that do not have access to such standards.

Referrals must come in through the TRP website, where they are routed to the Salesforce database and then to the regional coordinator corresponding to the referral’s address. Each region has its own way of handling referrals. They know their volunteer capacity, funding balance and build schedule.

They also make decisions based on regional priorities. As a general guideline, TRP gives priority to dialysis patients because they need to leave home multiple times a week. Other priorities are hospice patients, people with dangerous existing ramps, and people who live alone. We also try to give priority to any referral source that might pay for the ramp, such as an Area Agency on Aging, Center for Independent Living, Adult Protective Services or Habitat for Humanity affiliate, or to a veteran if we have funding covering that type of referral.

For most regions, the first contact the client has with us is the site survey. The surveyor meets with the client or family, checks out the property, assesses the need, and discusses the design with the client. Not all clients are on board with the proposed ramp, and if there is no good alternative, it’s OK to deny the ramp. Also, TRP does not build a second ramp if there is already a functioning ramp. TRP also does not repair ramps built by others, because then legally we would be assuming responsibility for it.

Some of the calls Gary gets are from the referring party, seeking updates as to when the ramp will be built. He tries to explain the many factors at play without involving the region coordinator. We know that not all ramps can be built. Until we can do that, it’s best to discourage such calls.

From the start, TRP has counted on region coordinators to set their own priorities and schedules and maintain flexibility in providing ramps to clients. And they do a very good job of it.
TRP Partners with Youth Mission Groups
This summer TRP will be partnering with at least two youth mission organizations. Last month’s newsletter included an article about Humanitarian XP, which will be working in the McAllen region, and we will continue to partner with United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth, or U.M. ARMY for short. U.M. ARMY will be hosting 23 youth mission camps in locations across the state. 

Each of these youth mission camps involves young people and their adult leaders, who stay for a week in a host church, sleeping on air mattresses or cots while doing home repair tasks, including building ramps. During their mission week they divide into teams of around six youth and a pair of adult leaders to serve the host community.

We currently have at least one open ramp referral in 17 of the 23 camp locations, and the affected TRP regional coordinators have been notified. Last summer, a large U.M. ARMY group from The Woodlands Methodist Church built 17 ramps in San Antonio, and another group will be going there this summer. The Woodlands Methodist group will be going to Beaumont this summer and is planning to build 10 to 15 ramps. Many of these camps will be in areas without active TRP teams, so their work helps cover some ramp needs that might not get done. They also supplement the work of existing teams in other areas.

Ramps are a meaningful project for youth as they can get immediate feedback from the client when they are done. They also learn some things about teamwork, tools and construction along the way. Partnering with youth mission groups helps more people get the ramp they need while providing youth with valuable experience. We hope to expand this type of partnership and welcome any comments or suggestions.
Recent Grants and Donations
Large grants in March included Installed Building Products Foundation, San Angelo Health Foundation, and an anonymous East Texas foundation. All three of these foundations have made awards in prior years.

Churches were also generous in the past month and have provided over $55,000 in donations just since January 1. TRP is especially grateful for the large donation from Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Austin, which held its final meeting in March.
 
The complete list of March grants includes the following:

  • $40,000 for statewide use from Installed Building Products Foundation
  • $30,000 for San Angelo from San Angelo Health Foundation.
  • $30,000 for East Texas from an anonymous foundation.
  • $25,000 for Austin Central from Lord of Life Lutheran Church.
  • $15,000 for Amarillo from the Mary E. Bivins Foundation.
  • $8,500 for Dallas from Texas Instruments Foundation.
  • $7,000 for Austin East from Fayette Resale, Inc. Second Chance Emporium.
  • $5,269 for statewide use from Home Depot.
  • $4,000 for Austin North from Rotary Club of Georgetown.
  • $4,000 for San Antonio Northeast from the McKenna Foundation.
  • $2,500 for Dallas from Atchley Chiropractic Centers of Castle Hills, LLC.
  • $2,236 for Waco from Habitat for Humanity.
  • $2,000 for Dallas from Greystar Development LLC.
  • $1,850 for Austin Central from Knights of Columbus Council 8141, Boy Scout Troop 413.
  • $1,600 for Austin West from Hill Country Fellowship.
  • $1,500 for Austin Central from Rotary Club of Austin for Eagle Project.
  • $1,156 for Houston from Good Shepherd Church Cypress.
  • $1,000 for San Angelo from Eldorado Game Association.
  • $1,000 for Dallas from Experion.
  • $800 for Dallas from Community Council of Greater Dallas.
  • $756 for Austin West from The Church at Horseshoe Bay.
  • $208 for Dallas from Crown Castle USA Inc.
  • $200 for Dallas from Heritage Christian School.
  • $100 for East Texas Tyler from Langen/Wink Bible Class.
  • $50 for East Texas Tyler from Garden Valley Baptist Church.
Fact Sheet on the Web
A current Fact Sheet containing the latest information about the Texas Ramp Project is always available on the TRP website. It is a useful tool for setting up your regional Facebook or Instagram page, sending to local companies or potential donors, or providing to the media if they are willing to cover a ramp build or publish an article you submit.

Information includes the most recent build statistics and other pertinent information as well as TRP’s EIN (nonprofit) number, contact information, and how to donate or volunteer. When you access the Fact Sheet, you will always know what’s going on with the Texas Ramp Project.
Social Media: Creating a Regional Presence
By Madison Lopez, Social Media Editor
Creating a Regional Presence

A number of TRP regions, including Amarillo, have set up their own Facebook pages. But most have not. This month and in the next few newsletters, we will share some fresh tips on how regions can best leverage a social media platform. This information is meant to provide you with the practical steps and tools to begin building and growing a regional social media presence.

Step 1: Create a Region TRP page if you have not already. You will be able to reach a larger audience of potential volunteers, donors and community members by engaging online as a region. A region-specific social media page is able to engage more closely with the communities it impacts than the main TRP social media pages. We recommend using Facebook or Instagram, or a combination of both. Facebook is a great platform to keep in touch with volunteers, while Instagram is good for building more connections and showcasing the work of your region.

Step 2: Make sure there is only one page for your region. Delete old accounts if there are duplicates, so as not to confuse the audience.  

Step 3: Piece together a clear profile. We want the audience to know exactly who you are and what you do. This means having a page name, photo, and bio that clearly communicate the region's work. We highly recommend a simple page name such as: "Texas Ramp Project – (Insert Region Name Here) Region." For the page photo, consider using a clear and bright image of a group standing in front of a ramp. In your bio, state that the region is part of a broader network of TRP teams across the state of Texas. You can include a link to the TRP website or donation link as well.

Sample bio: Our vision is that no Texan will lack safe access to his or her home because of financial limitation. The [Insert Region Name Here] is part of the Texas Ramp Project (TRP) network. TRP is a nonprofit that provides free wheelchair ramps to low-income older adults and others with disabilities identified by local health care providers. Ramps are built exclusively with volunteer labor, keeping costs to a minimum. If you are interested in volunteering or donating, visit our website. You can change a life!

Step 4: Follow the Main TRP Page. We will follow you back.

Step 5: Seek out committed volunteers who are willing to help keep the pages updated. We know coordinators have their hands full, and social media management may seem like one more thing to worry about. That's why we suggest having a faithful individual, or several, who is able to commit a few minutes a day or every other day to checking and updating the social media pages. This job can include posting pictures and info about recent builds, requesting volunteers, sharing information with local people and organizations about how to volunteer and donate, and answering questions about TRP.
We hope you will consider taking your region's social media presence to the next level by following these first steps.

Be on the lookout in next month's issue for steps on networking with locals via social media.
Remember, you can use the hashtags #TexasRampProject or #TRP to share with our community. Tag us in your photos, and follow us here:

Building Basics:
Threshold Transition Solutions &
Power Handheld Planers
by Roy Harrington
Threshold Transition Solutions

Thresholds that drop a few inches to a porch or deck are obvious problems, but even those with a bump just ¾ inch to 1 inch high can be a challenge for a wheelchair user. The height is a big factor in determining the solution, along with whether the door opens outward.

When there is a drop of multiple inches at the door, measure the drop and look at the door. If the drop is more than 2 inches and the door opens out, it is best to install a 5x5, or larger, flat at the door in addition to a short ramp. The flat area will improve safety and mobility better than creating a situation where the wheelchair must be on a slope when the user is opening the door. When porch space is very limited, some or all of the area may need to be covered by a flat, which is installed where the plywood surface will be at threshold height. Then the main ramp can be started at this higher level.
For ¾-inch to 1-inch bumps, a metal transition plate or a beveled board (5/4 x 6 or 1 x 6) can be used. These options can be cut to length based on the door width and custom cut around any frame or other obstructions around the door. These small transition solutions can be used both outside and inside (as shown in the picture below) to provide an easy path from the home all the way to the end of the new ramp. Interior threshold transitions can be held in place with double-sided mounting tape.
Power Handheld Planers
While the beveled edge on plywood or a board can be created with a table saw, another method is to use a power handheld planer, which is more portable and has other uses at a ramp build site, such as chamfering handrail corners.  
The collection of pictures below shows how several controlled passes of a planer along one edge of a board can be used to create the beveled edge. Note this does not need to be a “sharpened” edge, just sloped from the full thickness down to about 1/8 inch. The same process can be used on a piece of plywood, which is much easier with a handheld planer than with a table saw.
From making transition boards and improving handrails to adjusting “less-than-straight” lumber when joining modules together, a power handheld planer can be a helpful tool in the ramp-building toolbox.
  
Summary
While the tendency will be to focus on the needs for a “big” ramp, surveyors and builders also need to be aware of seemingly small obstacles such as the threshold and help provide solutions for these cases. Often, scrap lumber and plywood are all that is needed to construct a short and safe door threshold transition.
 
There are also tools that can be helpful, but not necessary, on a build site, such as the power handheld planer. 
Do you have other tips or suggestions to share?
There are a lot of very good ideas 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. 

Link to April 2023 Building Basics

RAMP OF THE MONTH: Hildago County
McAllen Region
Mr. Sergio M. is a 55-year-old man in Hidalgo County who was referred by a social worker at A Healing Touch Home Health. Sergio has longstanding multiple disabling conditions and lives alone. His home had a ramp, but it was in total disrepair and unsafe to use. Twelve South Texas Electric Cooperative volunteers committed 60 hours of labor to tear down the old ramp and build Sergio a new 48-foot ramp. 
Sergio waves from the turnaround of his new ramp.
South Texas Electric Cooperative volunteers celebrate a job well done.
DO: Please Pass the Newsletter On
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 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.