“The people we serve are relying on the gift of a bike to be their main form of transportation to job interviews and access essential services,” says non-profit director Sophia Suderman.
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Don’t leave old bikes to rust, consider donating them.
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That’s the urgent plea from Our Community Bikes, a non-profit group in East Vancouver that refurbishes bikes for low-income residents, that is running low on bicycle supply.
The non-profit fixed nearly 200 bikes last year and gave them to clients who couldn’t afford transit, don’t have access to vehicles, are precariously housed or are facing health struggles through its Pedals for the People program, said executive director Sophia Suderman.
This year, although the group is on-track to provide more bikes than ever, the demand currently outweighs the donations they’re receiving.
“We are getting squeezed,” Suderman said. “Right now we only have half of the bikes we need for people on our wait list, who are waiting what was eleven three months, to more than six now for a bike. At this rate, we’ll run out of bikes to repair in two weeks.”
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Suderman estimates the need for 700 more recycled bicycles and additional parts donations to cover what’s needed by 2022.
The non-profit, which also provides work opportunities and job training for those who need them most, has put out an urgent call to receive adult-size two-wheelers and youth bikes without steel wheels or much rust.
“The people we serve are relying on the gift of a bike to be their main form of transportation to job interviews and access essential services including medical appointments and social services,” Suderman said.
Our Community Bikes, which relies on donations, said the price of new bike parts increased an average of 21 per cent this year over last. Suderman worries the shortfall of donations could have life-altering consequences on those whose livelihood depends on two wheels.
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“We need marginalized voices in our communities. By providing them with transportation it is one step closer to breaking the systemic issues they face and giving them that opportunity to get to places where they can share their voices and their skills.”
Chuck Manaigre, who received a free bike through the program in June, called the gift “life-changing.”
The 65-year-old was confined to his single-occupancy room in a Downtown Eastside hotel after his previous career as a professional mover left him with injuries to his back and knees. He had knee replacement surgery.
“My SRO was almost a jail cell until I had a bike, I was losing mobility and in a lot of pain. Once I got a bike I was doing the exercises I needed to move again. Now, I can walk comfortably without a disability walker.”
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As well as physical help, the bicycle gave Manaigre a new lease on life.
“I go out riding with a few friends each week, we sit at CRAB Park, talk, laugh and enjoy life. I ride my bike in the morning to get coffee, groceries and every night before bed. It got me up and going again, and I’m sleeping much better at night.”
On Sundays and Tuesdays, Manaigre and others from Our Community Bikes host a repair clinic for DTES residents who need to make fixes to their bikes, walkers and wheelchairs.
“All the people in the community I know who were given bikes have still got them and cherish them.”
Suderman said: “The more we can do to make sure people’s current bikes can stay in shape and are usable, the more the pressure on us is relieved.”
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