Team OnDemand Origins
A Tragedy Unfolds in Central Texas
On July 4th, 2025, Central Texas was struck by a catastrophic flooding event that would inspire the creation of Team On-Demand, a nonprofit dedicated to disaster relief. Far from the usual Independence Day celebrations, torrential rains triggered devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country, particularly in Kerr County, less than 80 miles from Austin. Within two weeks, the tragedy had claimed at least 135 lives, with 101 people still missing… underscoring the scale of the disaster and the urgent need for a coordinated response effort.
The Results
The response was remarkable. In just four business days, hundreds of people united, contributing:
987 items
$22,535 in total value
The effort gained momentum as RUPT amplified the message, HIT Promo donated an entire 56-foot truck of supplies, and industry professionals, including Rusty Pepper from Taylor OnDemand, joined in. Rusty, an Austin resident, was eager to volunteer and jumped at the chance to support Lawrence’s mission.
Seven days after the floods, Lawrence, Rusty, and a group of volunteers loaded a full-sized U-Haul and caravanned to Center Point, Texas, the primary donation and volunteer hub. They delivered the supplies, which were immediately distributed to those in need, just three days after Lawrence’s initial LinkedIn post. The team then joined “search and recovery” efforts for the 160 people missing at the time, witnessing firsthand the disaster’s devastating toll. This experience highlighted the stark reality of such events, cutting through the desensitization often caused by constant media exposure.
Getting Relief Efforts in to Action
Lawrence Hanley, founder and CEO of Desk Plants, an Austin based promotional products supplier, was profoundly affected by the news. He was also a new father, so the reports of significant loss, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all girls Christian camp hit especially hard. Over the weekend, the weight of all those affected families and communities lingered in his mind, and by Sunday morning, he knew he had to do something.
So he immediately started working on creating an Amazon registry of all the essential items he could think of that families might need to help with their recovery. He then recorded a heartfelt video which he posted to his LinkedIn network to rally their support for donations. Within 24-hours Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak, founders of RUPT, another promotional products supplier jumped at the chance to help Lawrence with his efforts of raising donations for the victims. They offered the use of their warehouse facility to serve as a collection and distribution hub for the donations.
With all the wheels in motion, Lawrence then mobilized a local team to help organize, package, and deliver donations directly to the impacted communities.
A Mission is Born
On the drive back to Austin, Lawrence and Rusty had an epiphany. Their rapid, passionate response had mobilized a small fraction of the promotional products industry in just four days. They began to envision what could be accomplished with a more defined plan, a structured organization, and greater involvement from the vast print and promotional products industries. These industries, with thousands of companies across the U.S., have unique strengths: suppliers produce essential items like first aid kits, battery packs, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, clothing, and socks, while the print industry can create flyers and signs to guide volunteers and raise awareness in the chaotic aftermath of a disaster. With locations nationwide, these companies could serve as collection points, and their personnel could provide boots-on-the-ground support.
This vision gave rise to the idea of creating Team On-Demand, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designed to be a guiding light for the print and promotional products industries to deploy resources, donations, and volunteers to aid communities affected by natural disasters. The organization will maintain a network of companies ready to serve as donation hubs and volunteer bases when disasters strike their regions. By providing clear direction on where and how to donate or volunteer, Team On-Demand addresses the chaos often seen post-disaster, where local schools or fire departments become makeshift command centers. The nonprofit connects the dots, manages last-mile logistics, ensures supplies reach those in need, and shares stories of impact to inspire further action.
Team On-Demand transforms the goodwill of the print and promotional products industries into a coordinated force for good, ensuring that when disaster strikes, these industries are ready to make a tangible difference in recovery efforts.
