Bikes for the Homeless Shelter

Wheels of progress

By Asheley O. Rosen
Voice-Tribune
March 24, 2004

The Rev. Tim Moseley, executive director of Wayside Christian Mission, has long known that a lack of transportation is a huge problem for the homeless population. A former cyclist himself, he has often envisioned a bicycle lending program, offering the mission's clients a way to get to and from employment or social service programs. But although the 46-year-old mission, at 808 E. Market St., has an enormous amount of available manpower, there was no one to coordinate the program until Peter Burkhart - working on his master's degree at the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville, and a cyclist himself - approached Moseley for an internship practicum. Burkhart even took a bike along while he was stationed on the battleship USS Missouri during Desert Storm. He used his bike to explore and get exercise whenever the ship was docked in a safe place. The former petty officer third class knew how therapeutic and convenient bikes could be. And the Wayside Christian Mission Bicycle Lending and Ownership Program was born.

Burkhart did a needs analysis, finding that eight of 10 Wayside clients would use bicycles as a means of transportation, exercise and recreation if they were made available.Moseley didn't need to see the study. He said that mobility always is a main problem for his clients. "Transportation is one of the major obstacles for homeless people, or anyone living in poverty, unless a job or services is on a bus route," he said. "We have 300 to 350 people staying with us on a daily basis, and I can count on two hands the ones with any kind of motorized transportation." The lending program will allow an approved group of clients to purchase or check out a bike with a bike loan card. Clients first must attend a "bicycle rodeo," learning basic maintenance, safety and rules of the road. "The biggest challenge is going to be getting the clients to take responsibility for the bikes," said Burkhart. "That will be a major issue."Burkhart hopes to have enough bicycles donated to stock the bike racks - they need adult-sized vehicles that are in decent condition. The shelter already has established a bike maintenance and repair shop at the mission's new men's facility, at 432 E. Jefferson St., where the bikes will be kept in top working order.

Another partner in the project, William Davis, is an avid cyclist and bike mechanic, and he will lend that experience to the program.The recent graduate of the Indiana University's School of Library and Information Science, Davis also is a volunteer for the Bloomington Community Bike Project, and his role will include training some of Wayside's clients to work in the repair shop. "I think we'll have some that will become bicycle maintenance workers," Moseley said. "Peter has set up a rack where the bikes are getting worked on, and the clients are very interested in watching and learning." Burkhart said having the shop staffed by clients is a main goal. "One thing I want to build into this program is to make it self-sufficient - have the bike shop at Wayside service other people's bikes, too, and maybe offer a retail and resale shop for bicycles." The first rodeo, on March 12, drew about 30 clients, who spent a morning learning the rules of the road and the rules of the program.

"I've been riding a bike my whole life," said Burnett, a client of Wayside who is retired and said he'd use the bicycles to attend activities around town. "I like to stay energized, keep my bones moving and energized."

George, another Wayside client, has his own bike and offered advice for those just beginning to ride on downtown streets. "I ride my bike to appointments at Seven Counties (Services)," he said. "You have to pay attention to traffic. É Bikes are good exercise, but the main thing is you've got to drive defensively."Burkhart, who owned a handyman service, Small Jobs LLC, prior to returning to school, will be readily available to oversee the program. He is scheduled to graduate in May, and has been hired by Wayside as a case worker in the men's shelter, working with a group of resident men who live at the shelter permanently due to some type of disability.

He (Peter) lives in St. Matthews with his wife, Mary Tyler Burkhart, a physician at Caritas Health Center, and his two Boston terriers. "I see (the lending program) evolving into a grand scale," he said. "I would love to employ the clients and would love for the program to be self-supporting." The clients see the potential, too.

"If I were to work," said Kathleen, a client of the mission, "I could ride the bike instead of walk."

So far, the project has 10 bikes in working order. Workers in the bike shop are amassing a parts inventory, so even if a bike is not in perfect condition, they can use some of the parts. Bikes, accessories, financial donations and corporate sponsors are needed. To donate, call Burkhart at 895-5974.