Bike mission breathes new life into old wheels
by Charles Cassady
Among many other distinctions, 2020 marks the five-year anniversary of a unique local charity begun by Brecksville United Methodist Church. And the proverbial big wheels keep on turning for the annual Brecksville UMC used bicycle drive.
The church accepts donations of old bikes, and mechanics refurbish and repair the machines. Resurrected bikes are then distributed to families in need.
What gave the checkered flag to this program?
“Each year at our summer Vacation Bible School, we support a type of mission so that the kids participating can experience what it is like to give back,” said Jennifer Gee, director of education at Brecksville UMC. “The mission we choose usually goes along with the theme of VBS.
“In 2015, the theme was all about movement and physical activity. So, we did a sports equipment collection, additionally suggesting that if a child had a used bike that was in good shape, but that they had outgrown, they could bring that in, too.”
Said Gee, “My plan was to ask some people from our congregation to fix them up so we could donate them. I had worked with a group from our church at a Cleveland west-side mission earlier that summer and saw so many kids in the neighborhoods where we were painting homes and doing repairs who were running alongside other children who were on their bikes.
“I thought about how often I see a bike on the tree lawn around where I live on trash day, and I imagined it wouldn’t be too hard to grab some of those bikes, fix them and get them to these kids.”
She said she “randomly” set a goal of putting 25 bikes through the system for however long the project lasted.
Now, after half a decade?
“We have now processed over 600 bikes in our five years,” Gee said.
There was no established forerunner for the project, she said.
“We haven’t followed a model,” said Gee. “We have really just figured it out as we went along, and have seen the work of the Spirit in so many aspects of this ministry.”
Recipients of the born-again bicycles come to the church’s attention via word-of-mouth or referrals from different communities. Needy families may indeed ask for more than one unit.
“How could you choose just one?” asked Gee. “Mom and dad, we have them for you too!”
Faith-based and secular organizations have partnered with Brecksville UMC, including Cleveland’s West Side Community House and its Sisterhood program, the city of Cleveland Heights, the Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland and other churches.
“Each year at Christmas, we invite recipients of the Yuletide Hunger food boxes [a Brecksville-based food drive] to stop and pick a bike from our ‘showroom,’” Gee said. “It has been a really heartwarming experience.
“We also have a great relationship with the Ohio City Bike Co-Op. They take our pieces and parts that we cannot use and either utilize them at their facility or recycle them.”
The volunteer mechanics on whom the program relies are drawn primarily from the Brecksville UMC flock, said Gee.
“We have had the Brecksville Kiwanis Club come in to help out during one of their scheduled meetings,” she said. “It was very successful. Our mechanics are a really nice bunch of people.”
The COVID-19 quarantine has hit the program in terms of delaying some of this year’s bike distribution and availability of spare parts, said Gee. But tax-deductible donations continue to be accepted.
“If you have a bike in decent shape – no bent frame and minimal corrosion – we would love to have it,” she said. “Our mechanics are a super-talented bunch of people. They will breathe some new life into it and give it another chance to make someone happy.” Volunteer mechanics are also sought. Those interested should e-mail education@brecksvilleumc.com.
Feature image photo caption: For five years, Brecksville United Methodist Church’s bike ministry has been refurbishing and donating used bikes to those in need. Pictured, Jennifer Gee, director of education at Brecksville UMC, rounds up donations to be transported to their new owners.
