Newsletter

Volume 7, Issue 2

February 2025

Message from Mark Denzin

Texas Ramp Project Executive Director

Building Ramps: The Power of Volunteers in Making an Impact

Volunteering is a powerful force for positive change, benefiting both individuals and society as a whole. It allows people to give back, strengthen their communities, and foster a sense of connection and purpose. But why is volunteering for the Texas Ramp Project (TRP) so important, and how does it help us fulfill our mission?

Personal Growth & Skill Development

Engaging in volunteer work provides an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. Volunteers can explore new interests, develop valuable skills, and gain hands-on experience that broadens their perspectives. More than that, serving others cultivates empathy, compassion and gratitude, qualities that enrich a person's character and sense of purpose.

Volunteering with TRP is also unique in that it offers individuals a chance to learn and apply practical and technical skills—skills that are increasingly rare in today’s world. By participating in a ramp build, volunteers don’t just contribute to a meaningful cause; they gain tangible, lasting knowledge that can benefit their own lives and communities.

Creating Awareness and Lasting Impact

Through hands-on participation, volunteers develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with mobility impairments. This awareness fosters a greater sense of social responsibility and a drive to make a difference. But TRP’s impact extends beyond just building a single ramp for one individual. Our model, when implemented effectively within local communities, provides a sustainable system of support that continues to deliver benefits long after the last board is secured.

Building Stronger Communities

Volunteering also strengthens social bonds. When individuals come together to work toward a shared goal, they build relationships across diverse backgrounds and perspectives, creating a sense of unity and collaboration. With the right encouragement and coaching, today’s “Saturday morning build volunteer” could become tomorrow's team leader, ensuring that our 40-year legacy continues for generations to come.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Our Volunteer Network

As we enter the building season, one of our collective goals is to identify, recruit and engage more volunteers to support our ongoing efforts. Of course, working with volunteers presents challenges, but rather than avoiding them, we must embrace these opportunities for growth. By fostering positive, productive experiences, we can turn a one-time helper into a dedicated, energized member of our TRP family.

Thank you for your continued support.The work you engage in is making a difference in the community you serve. 

Warm regards,

Mark

City of Amarillo HUD Partnership

TRP has signed a memorandum of agreement with the City of Amarillo to partner with their Community Development Team, which has HUD money to support ramp builds. In January Amarillo coordinator Henry Wyckoff invited the Development Team to join a new team of city employees to build ramps. The Development Team director, Jason Riddlespurger, announced that 24 city employees had already signed up, creating two build teams.

The first ramp build was February 8. City employees were divided into three groups and helped build three ramps—one 20 feet and the others 32 feet and 72 feet long. Riddlespurger attended the first build, intending to bring his wife. But due to conflicts with her schedule, he brought his mother AND his daughter to participate: a three-generation exposure to building ramps with TRP.

“The response from city employees was great and much appreciated,” said Riddlespurger. “Everyone did a fantastic job of building ramps that will help our neighbors. It was really a great time and a great reflection of how our community cares about each other. Hopefully, we have started something that will continue to grow into the future.”

Pictured above are (L-R), Elaine Hampton, Peyton RIddlespurger, Jason Riddlespurger, Henry Wyckoff, Gary Hoots (client standing in front of Henry), Jim Owens and Brian Harlow. Robert Taylor took the picture.

He saw a need and hustled to fill it. That describes Robert Tonti, the entrepreneurial Houston-area man who has grown his own region, Houston North.

Robert was a member of Wildwood United Methodist Church in Magnolia back in 2019, when their home repair ministry needed to build a couple of ramps. But there was insufficient funding, so Robert went online and found the Texas Ramp Project. Then-executive director John Laine traveled to Montgomery County and showed Robert and his volunteers how to build ramps. There was no stopping them then.

As the need grew, Robert expanded from his one church to a total of five churches with volunteers building ramps. Last year TRP split off Montgomery County into Houston North, and Robert’s crews built 40 ramps. He now has teams close enough to Waller County to start building there as well.

How did he get so hooked? “As a Christian, building ramps for those in need provides a way to serve, and serving is our calling,” Robert says. He especially loves meeting with the clients and their families, understanding their need, and then seeing the “wonderful relief” he and his volunteers can provide.

There are also the challenges of building a new region, and the biggest one for him is communication. That means communication with the client, the volunteers, and the donors. Will the client answer the phone or even have a working phone? Will we be able to meet the client’s expectations? Will volunteers come forward? Will donors maintain support? It all comes down to communication, Robert says.

Robert was born and raised in New York and spent 25 years in Louisiana before settling in Texas with his wife as Hurricane Katrina refugees. He and Dianne have been married for 21 years, and she accompanies him on client visits. They have three adult children and three grandkids.

Robert holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the Institute for Management Development in Switzerland. He worked as a chemical engineer and corporate executive for 37 years and remains a corporate board member. He is a licensed amateur radio operator, attends Bible study and enjoys traveling. 

Giving Cheerfully of Mount Pleasant

 To learn more about how to donate stocks, visit www.texasramps.org or contact us at info@texasramps.org.

Recent Grants and Donations

The Texas Ramp Project has received a $35,000 grant for statewide use from the Harry E. & Eda L. Montandon Charitable Trust, an Austin-based foundation. The Trust was established in 2019 to fund organizations that serve handicapped and disabled individuals of all ages or children, whether handicapped disabled, ill, or otherwise disadvantaged. That first year, the Trust provided a $25,000 grant to TRP and since then has awarded another $170,000 for our work across the state. TRP is so grateful for the Montandon Trust’s confidence that we will use their investment wisely.

Grants and donations (excluding individuals and government reimbursements) received in the past month include the following:



• $35,000 for statewide from Harry E. & Eda L. Montandon Charitable Trust.
• $20,000 for San Antonio Central from Pape-Dawson Engineers Charitable Foundation.
• $10,000 for Tarrant County from Helen Gertrude Sparks Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.
• $5,000 for Wichita Falls from J.S. Bridwell Foundation.
• $3,460 for Waco South from Waco Habitat for Humanity.
• $3,212 for Dallas from Texas Instruments Foundation.
• $2,209 for Houston Central from Good Shepherd Church Cypress.
• $1,605 for San Antonio Central from Abiding Presence Lutheran Church.
• $1,200 for Austin East from Oviedo Chevrolet-Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram-Fiat.
• $1,000 for Austin East from Fayette County General Fund.
• $1,000 for Victoria North from South Texas Electric Cooperative.
• $834 for Austin West from The Church at Horseshoe Bay.
• $721 for Bryan/College Station from United Way of the Brazos Valley SECC.
• $500 for Austin Central from Capital City VFW Post 8787.
• $500 for East Texas Marshall Panola County from New Destinations, Inc.
• $450 for Austin West from Hill Country Fellowship.
• $400 for East Texas Jacksonville from East Texas Sheltering Arms Coalition.
• $397 for Amarillo from Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.
• $200 for East Texas Tyler from Langen/Wink Bible Class.

Shoutout to the Fayette County Record

Planks or Plywood?

By Roy Harrington

TRP ramp designers and builders have options! Some areas of the state tend to be dry and others wet. Some teams may have sources for better plywood and some may have members with deck board installation experience. The key is to find a solution that provides the best outcome for the client based on the volunteer and material resources available in each area. There are TRP teams using plywood, planks and hybrid designs and as demonstrated at the statewide conferences, everyone is willing to share their knowledge and experience to help advance TRP’s mission and vision.  

The traditional TRP ramp design uses plywood, but today’s plywood quality is not what it used to be. The picture shows a tail module from a ramp built at the end of 2022. This plywood de-laminated in roughly 1-½ years. 

In addition to the failures, not all TRP ramps get anti-slip paint on the plywood decking, which is needed to make the surface safer. A solution to both problems is planks, and several teams have made this transition or are building with a hybrid of planks and plywood.

More detail on building ramps with plywood or plank decking is available by clicking on the following link. Building Basics – Plank Decking

More on Plank Decking

Roy Harrington reports that the Bryan/College Station region is getting close to a year of building with planks in most of the region and almost two years for Washington County. “I don't feel like it is taking any longer, and my data supports that feeling,” Roy says. “We are also much happier with the final product for our client's safety and the ramp’s expected lifespan. Weighing the pros and cons, we plan to continue using deck board planks.

“Full disclosure,” he continues. “With the exception of Washington County, the rest of our teams are still using a standard plywood inverted module as it is easy to build and, if necessary, easy to replace. We will continue to evaluate and improve our processes to make our ramps better, stronger and hopefully faster to build with jigs, tools and techniques.”

Other regions are also using plank decking instead of plywood. The ramp above was built for a 79-year-old woman in Hawkins by volunteers from East Texas Emory. The 42-foot ramp was built using planks rather than plywood for the decking. According to team leader Jeff Mulkey, “Today’s ramp went together like clockwork. We have definitely increased our speed using deck boards instead of plywood. These ‘new to us’ building techniques are resulting in a ramp that is much safer, stronger, and more visibly appealing. I love it when a plan comes together.”

Ramp of the Month, Gillespie County

San Antonio North West

Kudos to Tom Canfield and Jody Donovan of San Antonio Northwest, who rallied their volunteers for an emergency build. Mr. Luis C., 37 from Willow City, had recently sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia. The hospital was ready to discharge him even though he did not have a ramp. Luis's wife was able to have the hospital wait one more day while the ramp was built. Fourteen volunteers made a dash to Luis's home, where they built the 30-foot ramp. They donated a total of 23 hours. The referral for this ramp came from Peterson Regional Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit.

You are encouraged to use the TRP Media Consent, Waiver and Release form for your builds. To access the form, click here.

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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