Two families were given the opportunity to build their own bikes through St. Vincent de Paul’s The Bike Shop Family Program, which provides bikes for low-income families who come to SVdP’s Family Evening Meal.
The program is a huge help for families that otherwise may have to walk miles for dinner, but the impact it makes goes beyond affordable transportation. It provides them with a time to bond. And this was something that could be everlasting for the families.
“Some families never, or rarely, spend time together in the outdoors. So when they get bikes, they can just spend time together as a family and have a fun ride in the park or around their neighborhood that is safe. Just even a ride together to the store is worth it because they’re spending time together,” said James Davis, an ASU student who helped run the program.
Teresa E. participated in the program with her eight and ten year old. Reynalda E. and Gabriel G. also participated with their six children, whose ages ranging from four to 14.
“Both families were excited that they were picked for the Family Bike Program,” said James Davis, an ASU student who helped run the program.
The families worked on the bikes during SVdP’s Family Evening Meal, which serves dinner to about 300 kids and parents every weekday.
“I taught [the families] how to fix certain things on bikes, but only the basic things,” James said.
Davis had a limited knowledge of bikes, but worked with some volunteers who were more skilled in mechanics to help the families finish their bikes quicker. Still, the volunteers tried to keep their help to a minimum.
“[The Family Bike Program] is about the families accomplishing something that they worked hard for,” James said.
Since the families worked on the bikes two to three days out of the week, the families were able to finish their bikes within three weeks.
“The end result is what mattered, when [the families] smiled and got their bikes it made each day worth it,” James said.
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Gretchen Burnton is the community relations intern at St. Vincent de Paul. She is a sophomore at Arizona State University pursuing a concurrent degree in journalism (with a specialization in Public Relations) as well as Film and Media Studies. She is also pursuing a minor in public service and public policy.
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