Thursday, June 26, 2008

Tulsa's Community Cycling Project

(Image from Urban Tulsa Weekly)


Urban Tulsa Weekly has a very complimentary article on the Community Cycling Project. Major kudos to both Sandra Crisp and Ren Barger. Here's a excerpt:

Two Wheels to Stand On How a "bike kitchen" is helping the city's homeless get back on their feet

BY BRIAN ERVIN


Most of us have cars and, though they might not all be as sexy, sporty or as nice as the Joneses, they still afford us the independence we need to live our lives, go to work and stand on our own two feet (rising gas prices notwithstanding).

And, we tend to take that independence for granted most of the time, except when the inevitable wear and tear or a mechanical malfunction grounds us for a few days until the repair shop restores our autonomy.

For many of Tulsa's homeless, though, lack of transportation is all that stands between them and self-sufficiency.

"That's a big issue for the homeless," said Mack Haltom, associate director of Tulsa's Day Center for the Homeless, about the role of transportation in rehabilitation.

"There's plenty of work for folks, but city buses don't always get them where the jobs are," he added.

That's why Haltom and many of his colleagues sing the praises of the Tulsa Wheelmen bicycle club's Community Cycling Project.

"It meant the difference between working and not working, in many cases," said Gloria Dialectic, a Day Center caseworker.

As CCP coordinator Ren Barger explained, the program provides bicycles, including all the necessary equipment and a full day's worth of safety training, with an entire year's worth of service thrown in--all absolutely free of charge.


Prospective benefactors can contact Barger at ren@leesbikes.com.

(More)

Labels: , , , , , , ,

4 Comments:

Blogger Paul Tay said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

11:22 AM  
Blogger Paul Tay said...

Greetings from PDX. Wish you were HERE!

Bikes moved 95% of the cargo and catering for Pedalpalooza. The street people took NOTES.

11:24 AM  
Blogger Coelecanth said...

I've been working in a Bike Kitchen kinda place. www.edmontonbikes.ca Two days a week I go to the inner city and fix up homeless folks bikes. The first day I did this at the shelter they were serving pastries donated by a local baker. One guy suggested I have one and when I demurred he said "You know, it's ok to have a home."

My second day I found a pack of apple chips in my helmet when I left. Put there by someone who was hungry enough to need a free meal.

I have to say that those two moments are the best my wrenching has ever made me feel.

Doing good feels good, who'da thunk it? :)

12:22 AM  
Blogger Paul Tay said...

There are two bike "kitchens" in PDX that serve address-challenged street people.

Here's my letter of support to Ren Berger:

Greetings from PDX. Wish you were HERE!

I am willing to volunteer wrench. I am not an LCI, but the stuff I know could probably fill a long-winded novel. Also, I have a DVD copy of Still We Ride, with cleared rights available for the Living Arts Bike-in. With a wi-fi connection, the bike-in could also show StreetFilms.

Also, I have a van. Just needs a motor. A bicycle can tow a mobile shop. Instead of a fixed location for space, I hope you consider mobile bike shop. Address-challenged street people are pretty mobile. Take the bike shop to them.

My business, Outdoor Mobile Advertising, could provide funding for operations. Lemme know how I can help. I'll be back in Tulsa from 5 July to 22 August.

Regards,
Paul

9:54 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home