In East Texas, the local Texas Ramp Project group, led by Regional Director Jerry Halpain, serves Cherokee, Anderson and Henderson County, growing from a handful of ramps built in 2013 by four or five volunteers, and growing to 60 last year. This year, local volunteers are approximately half-way through a list of 65 requests for ramps.
“The ramps give people the ability to get in and out of their homes safely, without worrying about falling down. For some of them who are in pretty bad shape, it makes all the difference in the world,” said Jerry Halpain, a New Summerfield resident who has been building ramps in Cherokee County since 2013. Be it someone who is wheelchair-bound, someone using a walker or whose uneven gait makes using steps a challenge, the ramps – built by volunteers within 4-5 hours – gives residents the independence to safely leave their homes whenever they want.
The ramps also meet an important need in providing a means for exit in the event of a fire or other emergency, allowing recipients “to leave their homes safely and independently. They provide relief to families and caregivers, and they allow people to remain at home, aging in place surrounded by those who love and care for them.
“Jerry and his team of volunteers are the foundation and bedrock of our organization. Generosity grows when shared, and it becomes the bridge that lifts others toward hope and independence,” said Texas Ramp Project President Keith R. Henderson. “The generosity and commitment of the Texas Ramp Project ‘s volunteers, donors and sponsors across Texas make every wheelchair ramp another step toward freedom possible.”
Jerry Halpain is one of nine folks who volunteer locally, of which four who have been with TRP since the first project in 2013. “Three are under age 70, while the rest are older,” he said. Those interested in volunteering with TRP or donating supplies can contact Jerry Halpain locally at 972-922-8726, or visit www.texasramps.org/volunteer. Folks also can go online to www.texasramps.org to donate or to sponsor a project.
Although each project is roughly half a day’s work, “it changes their lives a great deal,” Halpain said of those receiving ramps.
Celebrating 40 years of service in the state of Texas, The Texas Ramp Project, a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to help residents facing mobility challenges, has built approximately 30,000 ramps since then, each project bringing a world of change in the lives of recipients.
The Cherokeean Herald, September 24, 2025 by Jo Anne Embleton Contributor