Hoards of people walked and pedaled up to North B Street Saturday morning. Volunteers were more than ready for them, tools in hand, prepared to repair their bikes as part of Cycle 4 Hope’s monthly “Homeless Outreach Day.”

Founded by Shawn Holiday in 2008, Cycles 4 Hope is a nonprofit organization that provides free bike repairs for the homeless. It operates entirely on donated bicycle materials and the help of volunteers.

“The number one thing that I have learned is that a bicycle helps a homeless person not feel homeless," Holiday said. "It gives them the opportunity to be at par with everyone else. It helps them forget the bad situation they are in.”

After Holiday spent a morning downtown this past July and saw the conditions the homeless live in, he began to wonder what it must be like to live in Sacramento in the middle of the summer heat and have no means of transportation to get to a shelter or somewhere cool.

He realized that something many people take for granted, a working bike, can make a huge difference in the homeless’ lives.

“A bike can get you to a place to cool off such as a community pool or the river. A bike can get you across town to a shelter for food, a bath and a clean bed. A bike can get you to a job that is helping you get back on your feet,” Holiday said.

Once a month, volunteers gather for “Wrench Days” to prepare and repair donated bikes. Outreach days are held the following day to provide free repairs to those who already have bikes as well as give away bikes that are donated to the organization.

On Saturday, 10 bicycles were given away to those who showed up early and entered a raffle.

While they waited in the blistering heat, many gathered in prayer circles, danced to the beat of live music and received free Bibles from members of Roseville’s Metro City Ministry, who attend the monthly gatherings to speak to the homeless.

“[Cycles 4 Hope] are meeting their physical needs, and we’re meeting their spiritual needs,” said Paul Fore, a leader from the ministry.

Earlier in the morning, the ministry gathered at Union Gospel Church and served breakfast to the homeless who are not able to make it as far as B Street. Afterward, they moved to the Cycles 4 Hope location to hand out free Bibles and preach a message of hope to the homeless.

The Outreach days are held once a month in Sacramento across from the Salvation Army, and Holiday said that as more people find out about their services, the numbers of those who show up in need of repairs grow every month.

Another one of Cycle 4 Hope’s targets is downtown Old Roseville, where the numbers of homeless are increasing. They have held several Outreach days there and will continue to do so as needed.

Holiday’s organization currently has 10 volunteers who volunteer on a monthly basis and around 30 who participate at least once a year. Last year, Cycles 4 Hope logged 400 volunteer hours, gave away 150 bikes and repaired more than 300 bikes in only six months.

Cycles 4 Hope is currently in the process of receiving its Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) approval that will make it exempt from federal income taxes. With more volunteers and donations, Holiday hopes that their services can expand beyond just the Sacramento region.

For those who wish to volunteer but are not able to make the Wrench or Outreach days, Holiday offers an adopt-a-bike program where volunteers can repair bikes at their own homes and return them upon completion.

“Cycles 4 Hope's mission is to provide hope, one bicycle at a time," Holiday said. "Providing hope to someone in need is the best thing we can do.”

To volunteer or find out more information, visit Cycle 4 Hope’s website
 

All photos taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography