'Bikes from the Heart' donates 1,000th bicycle in first year of helping those in need
TAMPA, Fla. - Next time you spot someone riding a bike, you may just see it in a whole new light. For some, it's not just a way to get around, but a blessing.
A group of volunteers in Tampa spends their days fixing old, sometimes broken bikes, polishing them up, and then getting them out to people in need. The bikes are free, and the freedom they offer is life-changing.
The storm surge from Hurricane Helene washed up debris all along the coast, and among the water-logged piles were several bicycles. Though they were damaged and dirty, they weren't destined for a landfill, but a workshop.
WHAT'S RIGHT: 'Bikes from the Heart': Tampa organization helping people who struggle with transportation
"I see some of these wheels," said Tim Eves, the co-founder of Bikes from the Heart. "The spokes are really rusty, so they may not be able to be reused. But I look at some of these others and say those bikes are in good shape. They just need a good clean up and a good tune, and they'll be ready to go."
Inside a former convent on North Florida Avenue in Tampa, the wheels of ministry are still turning. Tom Henry was hard at work getting a bike ready for the road and the room was filled with sunlight and the echoes of laughter.
"First you start with the tires, and you blow them up and see if they'll keep air in it," said Henry, the co-founder of Bikes from the Heart. "I'm just trying to straighten this wheel right now."
Henry and Eves started Bikes from the Heart in 2023 on the North Campus of Sacred Heart Catholic Church just outside downtown Tampa. They collect used or broken bikes along with extra parts, including cables and tubes.
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Then, their team of volunteers gets them rolling again for people who could use a lift. Some are homeless or need a better way to get to work. They're kids who could use a blessing and older ones who've aged out of foster care.
"If you don't have a bike, your ability to live in the world is about this big," Henry said with hands held closely together. "If you have a bike, the space that you can live in is much bigger. You can get to the doctor's appointment, you can get to the store, you can get to a job."
Some bikes go to people at The Portico's weekly community breakfast, which serves many who are unhoused.
"It sounds simple. It's a bicycle, but it's really much greater than that," said Susan Morgan, the chief development and communications officer at Gracepoint.
For someone struggling with addiction or mental health, it's a reliable way to get to treatment.
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"They connect with them with a smile, not with judgment to say, not just, do you want a bike? Is there a color you like? What size do you need?" said Morgan.
Not all volunteers start as experts.
"I'm not the most mechanical guy around," joked volunteer Dr. Steve Krist.
But Krist, who's a retired dentist, knows exactly how to diagnose a problem.
"Every time you get an old bicycle, you put it on the stand. You've got to make a diagnosis. ‘What does this bike need?’ And I love that part of it," Krist said.
In a year's time, they hit a big milestone, donating their 1,000th bike. That one went to Aileen Jones who works at Gracepoint Homeless Services.
"Exciting," Jones said. "I was happy, thankful, very thankful, because I walked back and forth to work."
The smile that never left her face said it all. It's about more than a bike.
"It's not just transportation, but it's also working out. It's also when I need to clear my head, I can take a ride," Jones said. "It's definitely a release."
It's freedom to get where you're going, whenever you want to go. Bikes from the Heart gets people on two wheels, so they can get back on their feet.
"They're angels, I can tell you that," said Jones.
Those sandy saddles, muddy tires and rusted handlebars could've easily been trashed after the storm, but Eves said he saw the opportunity for them to still be used. While the storms took a lot of things from a lot of people, these bikes will give something back.
"I feel good. And I've got a feeling they feel good, too, that they're giving something that's going to help somebody else and that's also having a tough go of it," Eves said.
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The recent milestone set the standard. Now, the goal is for Bikes from the Heart to produce, at minimum, 1,000 bikes a year. But someday, they'd like that number to be even higher.
They can always use donations of bikes, parts and most importantly, volunteers. They keep the wheels in motion, and you don't have to be a bike expert, just willing to learn. To get involved with Bikes from the Heart, click here.
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