CoServ Employees build 36th ramp; CCF awards grant to Texas Ramp Project

By Nicholas Sakelaris | October 2, 2023

CoServ Employees spent a recent Saturday building a ramp in Lake Dallas. (Photos by Nicholas Sakelaris/CoServ unless otherwise noted)

For seven years, CoServ Employees and their family members have provided muscle, sweat and skill to build ramps for the Texas Ramp Project.

From a 56-foot ramp in Justin to a 24-foot ramp in Denton, the hard work has provided freedom and mobility to North Texans when they desperately needed it.

On Sept. 23, CoServ helped build a 48-foot ramp for Lake Dallas resident Jamie Taylor, who has been confined to her home for months because of an autoimmune disease.

“It’s going to be able to get her out of the house and down the ramp so we can get her to the doctor appointments for the medicine and treatments that she needs,” her husband Matt Taylor said.

While the volunteer hours CoServ Employees put in are important, the materials to build the ramps also have a cost. Each ramp build requires 2x4s, 2x6s, 8-foot-long sheets of plywood and wooden posts – a cost that is borne by the Texas Ramp Project.

At the Lake Dallas ramp build, the CoServ Charitable Foundation awarded a $10,000 check to the Texas Ramp Project, enough to buy materials for up to 140 more ramps throughout North Texas. The Operation Roundup grant was funded by CoServ Members and Customers who generously round up their bills to the nearest dollar.

Over the years, the CoServ Charitable Foundation has awarded $71,000 in grants to the Texas Ramp Project.

The impact of these grants will extend far beyond just what CoServ’s volunteers are able to do, said Conan Tearney, CoServ’s Client Services Manager and liaison to the Texas Ramp Project.

“CoServ Employees typically do four or five ramp builds per year and we just completed our 36th build,” Conan said. “It’s hard to put a price on what these ramps mean to the individual homeowners. It’s a great feeling knowing you provided someone with the ability to come and go from their home. I’m also proud to work for a company that encourages us to volunteer for this cause while also awarding grants to help even more people.”

The CoServ Charitable Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to the Texas Ramp Project to purchase materials to build 142 ramps in the CoServ electric and gas territory. The check presentation includes the homeowner, Matt Taylor, CoServ Board Director Bill Ragsdale and officials from the Texas Ramp Project.