The Legacy of “Eddie” the Element
A treasured car, given from one woman to another, with love.
Mysti and Jessica
Jessica was driving “Eddie” again and she couldn’t believe it. She had finally reached the point where she was ready to part with her trusty 2004 Honda Element who had faithfully seen her through so many years, but here she was in the driver’s seat once again.
Minutes earlier, Jessica had been at the car dealership, browsing her next vehicle options when she heard the trade-in number they were offering for her still running and reliable vehicle - $500. That’s when she decided she would much rather give her vehicle to someone who could use it than take such a small amount for what she knew to be a valuable resource. She vividly recalled several rough patches she’s had in her life where a reliable vehicle had been the difference between stability and uncertainty.
Jessica eventually found and contacted OnRamp DFW about donating her vehicle, though she didn’t have any prior knowledge or interaction with our organization. She said she was especially drawn to our pledge to give away the actual vehicles that were donated to us whenever possible.
Flash forward a couple of months to a recent chilly morning at the tax office, where a young and deserving woman named Mysti was arriving in an Uber with a child seat in tow. She was there to receive a vehicle that would help her gain much-needed stability during a particularly rough patch in her life, and had been nominated by her cheerleaders at Interfaith Family Services.
Jessica was also there that morning, enjoying the process of the OnRamp giveaway, which includes the gift of a Bible and prayer for the recipient. It wasn’t until the very end that she told Mysti the role she played, that she had been the donor of the vehicle Mysti just received. With joy and tears in her eyes, Jessica shared how great a car Eddie had been for her and offered words of encouragement to Mysti during this temporary challenging time in Mysti’s life.
The OnRamp DFW team is so honored to have been able to connect these two wonderful women and to regularly get to facilitate such acts of generosity and love. If you had a hand in this giveaway by the donation of your resources or talents, I hope you can pause and smile that you were a part of this story too!
Spread the word!
We know there are others in DFW who would be interested in donating their used vehicle to benefit a neighbor in need, but may not know where to go or who to contact. Help us get the word out that OnRamp DFW is a great place to facilitate their gift! You can direct people to our Donate page, where they can see what conditions of vehicles qualify and contact us with any questions.
