Raleigh Community Kickstand (RCK) has been working with the local men's shelter for 3 years, providing bicycles to any resident who requests one.
Here are some thoughts/ details:
- The relationship started when RCK was contacted by the shelter requesting bikes for their residents. They knew of us because we have been providing free bicycle repairs at the adjacent homeless services center once a month for 5 years.
- We provide bicycles that were donated to us by members of the community and that were refurbished by one or more of our volunteers.
- We provide lights ($12/set) and a U-lock ($15-$20 per) with each bike that we provide to a shelter resident. The funds generally come from donations we receive from the community, and we have received some grant funding as well.
- We provided a large commercial grade bike rack to the shelter, it had been donated to RCK by an apartment complex that did not want it any more. We delivered the rack and teh municipal employees installed it.
- The shelter staff emails RCK with the name and height of a resident in need of a bike. We generally deliver a bike/lights/lock within the next few days. The bikes are delivered to the shelter, received by the shelter staff and given to the resident by the shelter staff.
- The shelter has recently begun placing a durable plastic numbered tag on each bike owned by a resident. Only bikes with these tags are allowed to be stored on the shelter property.
- RCK keeps one of the two keys that come with each U lock. If a resident moves out of the shelter and leaves their bike behind, we can come unlock it, remove and refurbish the bike and make it available to the next resident.
- The bikes are generally used by shelter residents to get to work. We sometimes get urgent requests where a resident is starting a job in the next day or two and needs a bike.
- RCK maintains 2 "loaner" bikes at the shelter, and the shelter staff has the keys to these bikes. These bikes are available for residents wanting a bike for a specific day / task. These bikes are also given to residents who need a bike for work before RCK can deliver their bike.
- RCK has provided several floor pumps for shelter to keep behind the front desk and make available to residents who need to pump their tires. These tend to last a few months before they break or disappear. RCK tends to get floor pumps donated with bikes so we are glad to give these to the shelter.
- The shelter is on a bus line, so it is not uncommon to see the bikes go on the front of the city buses as the residents head out for the day.
- As previously mentioned, RCK provided free bicycle repairs to anyone who requests them during our once a month repair event at the homeless services center next door to the shelter. Each month we service/repair several bikes of shelter residents who received bikes from us.
The program has been successful because of the commitment of the shelter staff. They tend to be overworked and understaffed, but still voluntarily take on this additional program and the work involved.
Let me know if you have any questions.
John