Bicycle Ministry

The bicycle ministry here at Singing Oaks began because of a request from a client who asked for help in finding a bike for her brother. Jerry Browder and others from Singing Oaks were volunteering at Our Daily Bread when this request was made. Jerry talked with her and volunteered to find a bike. Her brother was having to walk or hitch-hike to Lewisville daily to work at a minimum wage job. This bike solved his walking problem. This request sparked a thought in Jerry’s mind that bikes would be a great addition to our benevolence program.

Prior to this we had given away a few bikes that were donated to us but we had not yet announced we were in the “bike business”. Jerry found a source for bicycles in Dallas. He got connected with this group and we began accumulating bikes to give people who were coming to our food pantry and clothing room.

A bike might seem like a small thing, but if you are having to walk or try to come up with bus fare when you’re homeless or unemployed, it’s a big deal. Some of the biggest smiles and thank-you’s we receive are from people who no longer have to walk or spend their last $1.50 on a DCTA bus ticket. As some commented – “we’re now one step up in the food-chain”.

Denton is not an easy place to get around. If you are homeless and sincerely out looking for a job, the only way most have to search is “on foot” or beg for a ride. In the summer time when it’s hot or when the weather is inclement, walking is no fun. Putting your best foot forward is difficult when you are sweaty and tired. If you are at the Salvation Army and want to go to the Texas Work Force Commission for job assistance, or put your resume on line, it is at least a 3 mile walk to their facility from the Salvation Army. Many homeless live in the woods in and about the city. Going downtown, Wal-Mart, I-35 access, the Greyhound bus station, or any of our shopping centers requires a walk of 2 to 5 miles. If you’re unemployed, most likely you don’t have the $1.50 bus fare.

We have given over 1,000 bikes to people during the past 5 years. This ministry in part, helped DCTA decide to put bike racks on front of their buses. Now when the people with a bike get employed and their job is not on a close bus route, they can take the bus as far as they can and then get off and ride the rest of the way to work. Hopefully they will be working at a job long enough to where they’ll finally be able to purchase a car.

There are all sorts of ways to be benevolent. People need food and clothing but they also need transportation. Transportation is probably in the top 5 biggest problems facing homeless and out of work individuals.

Please give Joe Keck and Earl Berkey a well-deserved thank you the next time you see them. They fix all the broken bikes that are given us. They keep busy supplying us useable bikes. Jerry Browder is an important part of this effort. He keeps” finding” bikes and hauling them to his office area or out to Joe or Earl’s places for repair.

This has become an important part of our benevolence program. Thanks for giving us your “idle” bikes. We can easily put them to use.


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Location
McKinney at Cardinal

101 Cardinal Drive
Denton, TX 76209

940.387.4355

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Sunday Worship Schedule
9:30 - Worship (English Service)
10:10 - Bible Class (Birth to 8th grade following the Kid's church time until the end of service)
11:00 - Worship (Spanish Service)

Wednesday Evening Schedule
6:30 - Celebrate Recovery

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