Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 9

September 2024

Statewide Electric Co-op Magazine Features TRP

The Texas Ramp Project was the feature story in the September 2024 issue of Texas Co-op Power. The article, by freelance writer Bob McCullough, is by far the largest media coup in TRP history. It features CoServ and Wood County Electric Cooperative, two of the many electric cooperatives that support or partner with TRP across the state. The article is titled “The Ramp Champs.” [Link]

McCullough contacted Central Support several months ago and asked if we would like him to shop a TRP article to the magazine. Of course, we jumped at the chance. Texas Co-op Power reaches 1.8 million co-op members in 65 Texas electric cooperatives. It is published by Texas Electric Cooperatives, a statewide association located in Austin.

Since publication, TRP has seen a pronounced upturn in inquiries to the volunteer page on the TRP website. With this article fresh in co-op staff and co-op customers’ minds, it would be a good time to identify your local electric cooperative and see if they would be willing to provide employee build teams or funding, or both. Co-op employees tend to be younger, so they could bring fresh talent into our volunteer corps.

Texas Electric Cooperatives represents the interests of 76 electric cooperatives across the state with more than 3 million members. To read the article online, go texascooppower.com.

Volunteer of the Month, Kelly Gant, Dallas

Kelly Gant is in awe of the world around her, and she believes everyone deserves a chance to get out and see it. That’s what drives her to build ramps in the Dallas, Denton and Texoma regions. She has built as many as six days in a row and 21 days in a month!

An engineer by profession, Kelly’s love is being on site, managing the complete ramp build.

"When else in life do you get to start, orchestrate and complete a project in less than a day and help someone in need at the same time?” says Kelly. “I really love problem solving at the job site—like when we have to surprise move the ramp to a different door and change its configuration.”

Kelly grew up in Indianapolis and received her engineering degree from Purdue University. She worked at an oil refinery in Port Arthur, then relocated to the D/FW area to work for an engineering consulting firm. Seven years ago she was working part-time at REI when a co-worker, Tom Moore, introduced her to TRP. She knew immediately this was something she wanted to do. “I had been volunteering for years and years. I helped people, but not those in need,” she says.

One of the highlights of leading build teams, according to Kelly, is teaching and mentoring the volunteers, especially the younger ones. “I love explaining the ‘why’ behind how we are doing something because I feel it is more likely the volunteers will remember how it’s done.” Now retired, Kelly is willing to travel to regions where new volunteers are available, just waiting to be trained.

Kelly and her husband, Lance, have been married for 34 years and have two adult children. They live in Argyle and are members of Argyle United Methodist Church. Being retired gives her time for her second love (after TRP), which is running off on a backpacking or cross-country adventure. She has been section hiking the Appalachian Trail each spring and fall for the past four years and has made it up to the midpoint, Harper’s Ferry. That’s 1,026 miles! She also loves to swim, bike, paddle and photograph the beauty of the world around her.

Which brings us back to her awe of the world and her desire to share it with others. Kelly’s favorite time of each ramp build is when it’s done and she can introduce the ramp recipient and volunteers to each other: “That’s when it becomes real and hits home that lives have been changed.”  

Hilti allows their employees to donate a certain amount of work time as a volunteer day. It’s a great fit since their sales team gets to practice with their own tools and to experience the great work we do at TRP!

In TRP's Austin South region, Hilti's central Texas team has been getting very involved. On a recent Friday, 8 members of their sales team met at the warehouse to assist with building 25 modules and over 100 upright cuts for future ramp builds. In October, another Hilti team will be on site and building a ramp.

Top (Left to Right): Sean McMurrey, Eduardo Magana, Jared Burress, Denver Pinkston, Nathan Doughty 

Bottom: (left to Right) Dan Moore, Jose Carmona, Ryan Stokes

In Brown County coordinator Morris Horton shows off his delivery of refurbished tools from Hilti. In 2023 Hilti provided nearly $126,000 of tools to TRP regions across the state. Another $22,000 worth of tools has been received so far this year. The tools were on display at the August conference, with several new orders being taken. All have been shipped. If you need to order tools, contact Gary Stopani in Dallas at glstopani@verizon.net.

We greatly appreciate Hilti as both a donor of tools and a reliable source of volunteers.

Pantex Funds for Amarillo

Henry Wyckoff (standing, second from left) of Amarillo accepted a $10,000 grant from CNS Pantex at an award ceremony on September 16. Twelve nonprofit groups received grants totaling more than $117,000 through the Pantex 2024 Community Investment Fund. The event was sponsored by the Amarillo Area Foundation.

Recent Grants and Donations

Grants and donations received in the past month include the following:

• $20,000 for San Antonio Central from The Greehey Family Foundation.
• $20,000 for statewide use from WellMed.
• $15,000 for Dallas from Harry W. Bass, Jr., Foundation.
• $15,000 for San Angelo from Mary Ellen Kent Bunyard Family Foundation.
• $15,000 for San Antonio Central from H-E-B.
• $10,000 for Dallas from Roy & Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust.
• $10,000 for North Texas Denton & Cooke from CoServ.
• $5,000 for Bryan/College Station from Lucille and John B. Dougherty Trust.
• $4,000 for Bryan/College Station from Fries Financial Services.
• $10,000 for Amarillo from CNS Pantex.
• $5,000 for San Antonio Northeast Comal County from McKenna Foundation.
• $2,500 for Bryan/College Station from Chilifest, Inc.
• $2,500 for Waco South from Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative.
• $1,940 for Austin West from Hill Country Fellowship.
• $1,500 for Victoria North from First UMC Hallettsville Foundation.
• $1,500 for San Angelo from First Christian Church.
• $1,200 for Amarillo from Palo Duro Cowboy Church.
• $1,011 for Waco South from Waco Habitat for Humanity.
• $1,000 for San Antonio Northeast Guadalupe County from First UMC La Grange.
• $1,000 for Dallas from Texas Instruments Foundation.
• $609 for Austin West from New Life Methodist Church Marble Falls.
• $595 for Amarillo from Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.
• $539 for Austin West from The Church at Horseshoe Bay.
• $469 for Amarillo from GrayCares Living at Home, Inc.
• $200 for East Texas Tyler from Langen/Wink Bible class.
• $60 for East Texas Tyler from Garden Valley Baptist Church.

HOTEC Grant for Waco 

Waco region coordinator Steve Jackson picked up a $2,500 check from the Heart of Texas Electric Co-op on September 20. HOTEC is a long-time partner with TRP.

Big Effort at Texoma Gives

Steve Ulrick, Wichita Falls region coordinator, participated in the Texoma Gives campaign by setting up a tent and building a partial ramp, where he placed a wheelchair, walkers and a cane to demonstrate. Steve’s display was picked up by a local TV station. [link to article]

Ramp of the Month, Atascosa County

San Antonio South

Mr. G., who is 32, is permanently disabled and bedridden. In order to access the community, his bed had to be rolled up and down a makeshift and totally unsafe ramp. Mr. G.’s new 60-foot ramp was built with 20 volunteers, who donated a combined 100 hours of labor. This ramp was the first one built by a team of Rise Broadband volunteers, working alongside the New Fountain TRP team. We are anticipating TRP and Rise Broadband will be partnering again in the future. The Devine News, the local newspaper, covered this inaugural build with Rise Broadband. Click here to read the story.

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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