With the presents opened and food eaten, many of us are looking forward to getting back into a normal routine of life with work and family. As we begin going back to work, many of us take for granted not only our job, but our ability to easily get to our workplace. However, for those that lack reliable transportation, getting to a job – and many times a new job – places immeasurable stress on an individual.
In the spirit of the holiday season, David, one of our WheelBrothers, initiated a grassroots effort to donate bikes, helmets, and needed accessories to the Arlington Life Shelter. This organization aids north Texans transitioning from homelessness through shelter and support services and reintegrates them back into the community. In addition, they help them obtain jobs to become thriving and contributing members to their community. Arlington Life Shelter routinely helps more than 800 men, women, and children a year with more than 80% obtaining full time employment. Their work is truly transforming the lives of those in our community.
While the Arlington Life Shelter has great success in helping individuals find employment, there are still hurdles that many must overcome after getting the job: the largest being reliable transportation. This is where David steps in. He noticed the need for the newly employed to be able to reliably get to their job on a daily basis and jumpstarted an initiative to donate new, adult bikes to the shelter for the newly employed.
After presenting his idea to the WheelBrothers community, different members stepped up and through their as well as David’s generous donations, ten adult bikes as well as helmets and locks could be purchased and delivered to the Arlington Life Shelter. The WheelBrothers and their families joined together to prep the bikes and take them to the shelter where they await their new owners.
For us WheelBrothers this is much more than just a bike donation; it will change the life of the recipients. First, the bike will mean reliability and the guaranteed ability to get to work and get there in a time efficient manner. This will allow new employees extra time to train, and the ability to earn extra income by taking on more hours or shifts. The ability to earn an income and provide stability in their life will lead to an increase in self-worth and self-appreciation. For those that have lived in a shelter and faced homelessness, regaining stability in their life is essential in ensuring they will not be back in the same situation at a later date.
It is guys like David that make north Texas such a great place to live. He has taken one of his passions and is passing it along to those in need. His ingenuity and selfless spirit is changing lives and making a difference in our community.