Cycling Forward

My name is Rob. I am an avid cyclist who has attended various cycling competitions across the Maritimes. I volunteer extensively in my community as a board member for multiple organizations. I have also both coached and refereed youth sports. My most recent interest is in establishing a program of refurbishing and donating bicycles to persons who otherwise would not be able to afford them. As a retiree, I have the time, the interest and the ability to make this come to fruition. I would be forever grateful if our community could provide the financial help to make this dream a reality.

One of the most challenging barriers faced by persons struggling with poverty is transportation. Those residing rurally, where there is a lack of public transit, can feel this impact tenfold. Many of the people I have served during my work life have been unable to get groceries, medication, attend programs or seek employment. Not due to a lack of desire, but instead, they could not get to where they needed to go. A bicycle can significantly increase the area folks can seek employment, attend a food bank, go to medical appointments etc.

The health benefits are both physical and mental. The environmental, economic and social benefits for people are expansive and noted in the following link; https://www.walkandrollpeel.ca/cycling/benefits.htm

The program would provide bicycles to both children and adults. The benefits for children are endless: Physical activity, peer engagement, motor skill development, family interaction, decision-making skills, responsibility etc. The benefits for adults are as described above.

Over the last several months, I have personally purchased, or have had donated, ten bicycles in various stages of repair, several of which were destined for the landfill. The much-needed environmental impact of waste diversion is a bonus of this worthwhile project.

After a bike is donated or purchased cheaply, it can be made road-ready for an average of $50/bike. The major cost factor to the project is the need for a helmet. The benefits of wearing a helmet have been studied extensively for both the rider and the health care system. It is also against the law to ride a bike without a helmet. I will not give a bicycle without providing a helmet for safety reasons.

My goal is to obtain funding to refurbish donated or purchased bicycles at a low cost. I would then provide these bikes to community groups, including but not limited to local food banks, CMHA, and family resource centres. I am not asking to be compensated for my time but rather to raise funds needed to buy, repair bikes and provide helmets to those in need at zero cost to the recipients. Help if you can. Any amount can get us closer to helping marginalized people find independent transportation.