Workday Annoucement - Saturday, 8/20, 2-4pm

Just because it is hot outside does not mean that there are still not those out there that need basic transportation.  We are working on trying to clear out as much inventory before Christmas (yes, the end of the year), as we will be doing another ReCycling event with a local elementary school in January.  Last January, we pulled in over 110 bikes!  We have to make room!  So please come out and help prep bikes for our partner charities!  MAM has already put in an order for some women's bikes, and we have a bunch of kids bikes that require very little work.

We are also working on trying to set up our first "spoke" at Clark Martinson's church - St. Mark's Methodist Church in the Heights.  Trucks and a trailer would be very helpful!

Saturday, August 20th, from 2-4pm at Memorial Drive Christian Church.  See you there.

Pay it Forward,
David

The word spreads to Montrose

Here is a great story about how word about Chain Reaction Ministries is spreading.  Larry and Carol Neal are members of Memorial Drive Christian Church.  Their daughter works for Manhattan Construction located over in Montrose.  Their daughter knew about Chain Reaction Ministries through her parents, and saw the opportunity to ReCycle Freedom with a person in need in their area.  The note was written to Jeff Stones, our cornerstone in the repair shop!

Dear Jeff,

Thanks again for helping us replace Mr. Isaac’s bike. Mr. Isaac lives in the storage closet across the street from our office. Every morning he is out watering the plants and waves when we pull in the parking lot. He washes cars and does small clean up jobs for people to make ends meet. His primary transportation was a bike that he saved for and bought at a local pawn shop. Unfortunately, his bike was stolen a few weeks ago, leaving him no way to travel to work or see his sister in the medical center, or his pastor downtown. Thanks to you guys, Mr. Isaac is once again back in business with a new bike. The smile on his face when we gave him the bike was irreplaceable! Thanks again for helping out a friend in need.

Beverly Girgis
Estimator
Manhattan Construction

Basic Transportation Helps MAM Client Get to Work Easier,

Cynthia Guerrero lives near 34th Street and TC Jester and does not have an automobile. Her new job as a Certified Montessori Instructor at Cypresswood Montessori School would have required her to walk over a mile to and from the nearest bus stop to the school.  Thanks to a nicely refurbished bicycle from Chain Reaction Ministries, supplemented by a bicycle helmet and bike lock from Houston Cycling Centres, Ms. Guerrero’s commute will be quicker and more convenient.  “I’m so grateful to MAM and its partners for this bicycle,” said Cynthia. “It will really make a positive difference in my life.”  Cycle2Success is a partnership among the Employment Services program at Memorial Assistance Ministries, Chain Reaction Ministries (a major service project at Memorial Drive Christian Church) and Houston Cycling Centres. The partnership sources donated bicycles, refurbishes them and distributes them to clients who need them to seek work or to commute to and from work.

If you are interested in supporting this project with a donated bicycle, please bring it to Spring Valley Cyclery, 9414 Gaylord, just east of Echo Lane. Or, you can click here to go to the website of Houston Cycling Centres.

Bob King

Associate Director, Employment Services
Memorial Assistance Ministries
1625 Blalock Road
Houston, Texas 77080

A little bit of sunshine. A Story from WHAM

These children were so excited to get the bicycles because theirs were stolen just after Christmas. Someone broke into their apartment and took the few items of value they had of which included the children’s bikes. The mother works as a teacher’s assistant so she struggles to make ends meet. The little boy suffers from a mild case of Autism but is well behaved and the daughter is a smart young lady that makes good grades. The daughter asked if she could ride her bike home instead of putting it in their vehicle but of course mom said no. Thank you for helping WHAM bring a little sunshine to what seemed like a rainy day. We are so fortunate to have a partnership with Chain Reaction Ministries.

Sonya Scott
Director of Client Services
West Houston Assistance Ministries

Story from MAM - Heights to Humble Commute!

If you think you have a commute problem, you should try being Doug Humphrey. Doug lives on N. Shepherd, in the Heights. He works primarily as a caddy at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas. Can you imagine doing that without a car? Doug does.

To get his “loop”, Doug walks a few blocks from his home to pick up the 009 METRO bus on Yale Blvd. He takes it downtown and transfers to the 259 bus to Humble. He gets off that bus at the EastTex Park ‘n Ride at US-59 and Aldine Bender. From here, Doug walks about 3.5 miles to get to his job at Redstone GC.

After Doug completes his round, he re-traces his steps. The 7 miles he walks every day is in addition to the walking he does with two golf bags on his back (an average round of golf is about 5 or 6 miles of walking).

Well, not anymore.

Cycle2Success has made Doug’s commute to work quicker and simpler by donating a bicycle it sourced through Chain Reaction Ministries, a program developed by Memorial Drive Christian Church, one of MAM’s member congregations. With a bicycle to go with his bus pass, Doug cuts out more than half of the daily miles he must walk to do his job.

The bicycle not only shortens his commuting time, it saves his energy for the job. For a caddy, more energy means better customer service and, hopefully, better tips.

Doug has a few words of thanks for MAM’s Cycle2Success program and for Chain Reaction Ministries:

“I would like to thank you for the blessing of this bicycle,” said Doug. “It has allowed me to go back and forth to my job as well to give me more freedom in day-to-day activities. You do not know how much I appreciate the assistance you have given me. You and your ministry will be in my prayers, and if there is anything I can do for you in the future please do not hesitate to ask. God Bless You.”

Pay it Forward, David

MAM - Nick Chandler Success Story

Nick will be a sophomore at Spring Woods High School in the fall. Last summer he participated in the Spring Woods at MAM Summer Jobs Program. The program employs at-risk, rising high school students from Spring Woods Middle School. The goals of the program are: to expose students to a safe and accepting work environment, to model appropriate job skills and behavior, to increase students’ self-esteem and value by payment for work, to foster social skills through a mentoring relationship, to provide a compassionate adult sounding board and to broaden and enhance a sense of community. Last summer Nick interned at MAM 25 hours a week. After gaining job and life skills last summer, Nick expects to obtain employment this summer to help purchase school clothes and contribute to his family’s income. Nick hopes to land his job at Chick Fil-A, which is well known to work with high school students and help with college scholarships.

Nick is 15 and too young to drive, and his single mother works full time to pay the bills. She doesn’t have the work flexibility to leave her job to get Nick to and from his job. Nick has to fend for himself, which would have meant a summer of walking almost 3 miles each way from his apartment off Long Point to Memorial City Mall. He would have the option of taking the bus, although the bus is unreliable, takes extra time and would cost Nick money to ride.

With the bicycle, Nick has the problem solved, and he’ll also be able to use the bike to continue his extracurricular activities like swim team and band. The bike will also allow him to stay at the school after the bus leaves to study in the library or work on homework without younger siblings distracting him.
Pay it Forward,David

Chain Reaction Ministries Featured at City of Houston's National Bike to Work Day Kickoff: May 20

National Bike to Work Day is May 20. That morning, Mayor Annise Parker will be having a press conference at 8:15am at City Hall. After her speech, I have been asked to talk about Chain Reaction Ministries and the lives that have been changed through the simple gift of a bike! I am working on the details (and speech obviously) now - but I would love for all of you to come out and support us! Thanks to Dan Raine at the City of Houston for thinking of us! Stay tuned for more details.

Pay it Forward,

David

Bikes, Bikes, and More Bikes!

We are taking them in faster than we can send them out! Good thing we have a workday coming up this Saturday. Dawson and I picked up six bikes from Spring Valley Cycles last week. A beautiful very early Diamond Back. Before they even knew to call them mountian bikes. Its pair was a CoMo Summit that was completely chrome! As an added bonus, Dawson commented on the way home that he really likes "knowing that these unwanted bikes will change someone's life." He's got it!

Last night, I stopped by Betsy Humphries house and picked up five more bikes. They had been loved and ridden (hard) for a number of years by the family and kids. Now they will need some new ones.

Hope you can make it out to Memorial Drive Christian Church this Saturday from 2-4. You don't have to be a mechanic. Looks like we are going to moving inventory to a warehouse, cleaning out the workshop, and of course, cleaning up and repair bikes.

Pay it Forward,David

Workday Announcement: 07MAY11, 2-4pm, Memorial Drive Christian Church

In celebration of National Bike Month, we are pushing hard on ReCycling Freedom! We are having a workday on Saturday, May 7th, from 2-4pm. We have reached out to the CenterPoint Cycling team (thanks to Jeff Stones) and hope that this new partnership will a model for reaching out to other cycling teams in the Houston area with opportunities to serve their community!

We have over 60 bikes that we are still working through, and we keep getting bikes weekly from individuals and our partners at Bicycle World and Fitness and Houston Cycling Centers. What a blessing! Also, we are working on finding warehouse space, and may be moving bikes into new space and cleaning up the shop (if things work out).

P.S. – put May 22nd on your calendar. On the heels of National Bike to Work Day on May 20, we will have a special workday on Sunday, May 22nd, from 8:30 to 10:30am. The members at Memorial Drive Christian Church have been asking about exactly how we go about our workdays, so we are giving them a chance to witness ReCycling Freedom in action firsthand. Come out, prep a few bikes, hang around and meet some of our members and donors to Chain Reaction Ministries!

Hope to see you at one or both of the events! Please feel free to forward and invite a friend!

Pay it Forward,

David

Memorial Assistance Ministries Story

Below is a short note about a bike making a difference.

Gina is a client in MAM’s Employment Services program. She lives near Hammerly and Blalock in Spring Branch, and has been using a poorly-functioning Wal-Mart bicycle for the past 7 months. This old bicycle has continually created problems because of an ill-fitting chain assembly. Whenever she rides that bicycle faster than a slow creep, the chain disconnects itself. Fixing this problem would be far more costly than the bicycle is worth. The refurbished Huffy solves the problem, and will allow her to cover far greater distances in the same period of time.

Gina is looking for employment at a retail store or in a warehouse/distribution facility, and there are many such employment opportunities that can be reached from her home by bicycle. This means she is not limited to job opportunities located directly on METRO bus lines.

Gina is very grateful to Chain Reaction Ministries for the gift of a more reliable, higher quality bicycle that will help her to locate and maintain stable and meaningful employment in Spring Branch.

Thanks, guys, for helping us get her onto a better set of wheels.

Bob King
Employment Services
Memorial Assistance Ministries

Pay it Forward,
David

Workday Announcement: 19MAR11, 2-4pm, Memorial Drive Christian Church

We continue to work through the 110 bikes from Rummel Creek Elementary. We have been ordering parts, and making some repairs, and we hope to make a big push this Saturday from 2-4 at Memorial Drive Christian Church. Come out and say hi, bring a bike, fix a bike, fellowship with us, and help ReCycle Freedom.

Pay it Forward,
David

17 bikes to Ministeria de Esperanza

The last batch of kids bikes were delivered to a project of Chapelwood United Methodist Church's "Ministeria de Esperanza" after school program in old Spring Branch. Their program serves the largely Latino community in the area, and includes homework studies, physical activity, and bible study. These kids did not have bikes, and several of them have never had the joy of learning to ride. The school will be providing some photos and more stories soon. I will post when I get them.

Pay it Forward,
David

Jennifer - A story from Memorial Assistance Ministries

Here is a short story from Memorial Assistance Ministries about where one bike went. I love this one, because I personally picked up this bike from a friend of mine - Hal Sharp, and was able to immediately email him the story and picture of his daughter's bike. What a blessing!

Today MAM’s Employment Services program distributed a refurbished Huffy bicycle to Jennifer Huerta, a MAM client.

Jennifer grew up in Spring Branch and now resides near I-10 and Blalock. She is looking for work in different areas of Spring Branch which are not along the major bus routes. She also wishes to consider employment in other parts of Houston, which will necessitate the combination of METRO passes and her bicycle.

Jennifer is interested in finding a job as a retail associate, and is returning to HCC in March to continue working towards a degree in Fashion Merchandising.

Thank you to Chain Reaction Ministries and to Spring Valley Cyclery for your assistance in supporting Jennifer’s efforts to improve her situation.

Bob King

Pay it Forward,
David

Stories from West Houston Assistance Ministries

Here is a short story from West Houston Assistance Ministries about where a couple of the kids bikes went...

Evelyn (not real name) has a husband and two children. They are from Galveston, TX and have been in Houston for 7 months. Evelyn was a dishwasher at a restaurant in Galveston and her husband worked in construction. Since their move to Houston they have worked odd jobs to try to make ends meet but it is a struggle for them because their government assistance benefits haven't transferred to Houston yet. Evelyn's father helps them financially when he can but it isn't enough. They have lovely children ages 3yrs and 4yrs but one child is autistic and very active which adds more of a burden to their situation. Once the children saw the bicycles she almost had to restrain them and confine them to their truck. It was funny to see them jumping from seat to seat to get the best view of their new bicycles. Thank you so much. That made the day.

Sonya Scott

Manager of CARE Ministries
Pay it Forward,
David

19FEB11 Workday Summary

23 bikes ready to go! We worked through the "order" from Ministera de Esperanza, and should be able to fill part of it. We have three bikes ready for Memorial Assistance Ministries. I am sure that Westside Homeless Partnership will help us find clients for the remainder.

The next step will be to work through the 40+ adult bikes with a variety of issues. It will take a little longer, but the gift of an adult bike truly transforms lives.

We are working on some key partnerships with bicycle groups/teams that are nuts about bikes, and are looking for opportunities to give back to the community. A couple of good workdays and we might be able to get through the leftover inventory.

The plus side of 40+ bikes in a room - it smells like a bike shop!

Pay it Forward,
David

Our Test Pilots

Yes, safety is a big concern to us at Chain Reaction Ministries. Each of our bikes is piloted (ridden) by a volunteer that make sure that the bike is safe. The kids helmet we had for Kevin just quite didn't fit. :)

Pay it Forward,
David

Organizational Meeting - 22FEB11, 7:30pm

You are invited to the monthly meeting of Chain Reaction Ministries. Our next regular monthly meeting is Tuesday 22FEB11, at 7:30pm at Memorial Drive Christian Church in the Athens Room (through the main entrance – make a right at the sanctuary. We need to push forward on the items we had from our last meeting, and address some of these new opportunities that have been put before us.

Pay it Forward,
David

Webelos - Working on their Handyman Badge

We found a new symbiotic relationship. Webelos need to earn badges. One of them is the Handyman. Component of it - learning basic bicycle maintenance. Hmmm - I wonder if you could not just fix up your bikes, but find someone who had bikes that needed fixing up to help others with basic transportation?

Clark Martinson and I had seven boys from First Presbyterian Church (across from the MFA-H) learning basic bike parts (in a cool relay), cleaning them, fixing flats, and adjusting brakes. They prepped eight bikes that they are going to distribute to a charity addressing the needs of homelessness in the Houston region and report back the stories of where the bikes go.

So - if you have a Cub Scout Den, or Boy Scout Troop that might be interested in this, please feel free to reach out to us!

Pay it Forward,
David

Workday Announcement - Saturday, 19 FEB 11, 2-4pm

It has been a great two weeks! 10 bikes to West Houston Assistance Ministries and 13 to Westside Homeless Partnership. We have a request from a division of Tallowood Baptist Church for 13 kids bikes as part of their after school program.

Jeff Stones will be leading the workday at Memorial Drive Christian Church on Saturday, 19 FEB 11, from 2-4pm. We need volunteers to help clean and repair kids bikes, as well as prepare some of the adult bikes that are in queue. Hope you can make it!

Pay it Forward,
David

WHAM Bikes

Sonya Scott from West Houston Assistance Ministries came by the church today to pick up the remaining 10 bikes that were prepared back on our January workday. There were some great boys BMX freestyle bikes in there (Specialized, GT, and Haro). We visited about WHAM's employment service program, and their need for adult bikes.

This is a great new partnership right here in the Memorial / Spring Branch area where we reach out to more families - helping provide freedom and hope - all from a bike.

Pay it Forward,
David

God's Chair

At the entrance to The Brookwood Community there is a large chair on a small pedestal. It is a visual reminder that God is always with us. In each of the workshops, there is also always one empty chair in a corner, or by a workstation. The citizens know the symbolism, and one pointed it out to me.

As I sat quietly Sunday morning in the living room, reading "Unbinding Your Heart" (a whole church program that we are doing), I closed my eyes and prayed - first thanking God for all the nudges that he has shown me about his presence in my life, then going down my prayer list. When I opened my eyes, and looked over into the kitchen, only illuminated by the morning sunlight casting through the living room I saw God's Chair.

What a blessing.

Pay it Forward,
David

Move 'Em Out!

Clark Martinson contacted our friend and former employer John Breeding with Uptown Houston and found us some temporary storage for 70 bikes. Memorial Drive Christian Church needed the room back, and we had to move the bikes out by Saturday. In a few hours, and help from Boulevard Bob at Uptown Houston, bikes were loaded in four trucks and moved to Uptown Houston's warehouse nearby. The backdrop of the picture is all of the greenery used to decorate the trees that line Post Oak Boulevard from Thanksgiving to Christmas each year.

Clark and others are looking for permanent warehousing solutions. In the meantime - we are greatly appreciative of John and Bob at Uptown Houston for donating space.

Pay it Forward,
David
James 2:18

Organizational Day Summary

We had good discussions about the future of the organization. We affirmed our mission, defined our differentiators, discussed the base organizational structure, and departed with key action items in our key operational areas. They are:
1) Operations: Locate offsite storage.
2) Business Planning: Apply for 501c3 status.
3) Marketing: Craft key marketing pieces and robust website framework.

These are to be accomplished in the next month and reported back at our next organizational meeting on Tuesday, 22FEB11 at 7:30pm at Memorial Drive Christian Church. This will be a monthly recurring meeting at the same time on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Put it on your calendar!

We picked up two new partners this week—West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) and The Brookwood Community. WHAM has an employment services program, and just a week prior to meeting with me was about to embark on a bicycle drive to try to supply bikes to their clients. The Brookwood Community’s citizens either walk or bike around the 500 acre community. Bicycles are central to their basic transportation and fitness. It is a beautiful place (landscaping and citizens) that is a perfect fit with our mission. Many of their bikes are three-wheelers, but I know that some of you out there are looking for just such a challenge!

With 110 bikes, you can imagine that we need help. I would encourage each of you to pray for the continued development of Chain Reaction Ministries, and ask “What can I give?” Please and contact me to inquire about what is next and how you can get involved.

Pay it Forward,
David
James 2:18

Helmets: The responsible thing to do

Everyone knows that you need to wear a helmet when you ride a bike. So it seem a natural progression of the business model that we, as a provider of bicycles, promote bicycling safety by weaving in helmets into the mission. Pete Dawson, a long time supporter, thought so to - and gave four helmets to get us started.

We collected six of so helmets through our Rummel Creek Elementary ReCycle Day, and those were quickly distributed to Westside Homeless Partnership.

Jeff Stones found a potential source for low cost helmets as well - and we are researching the monetary impact of providing a helmet with each of our bikes.

Pay it Forward,

David

James 2:18

22JAN11 Workday Summary - 18 bikes ready to go.

With 110 bikes in inventory and limited space, we needed things to move fast this week. Mercedes Parrish from Westside Homeless Partnership picked up 15 bikes for their clients. Clark Martinson made room by picking up 12 bikes, and Saturday we prepped 18 bikes ready for some of our new partners. Mercedes found new homes for some of our bikes with Iglesia Fuente de Esperanza, who have a few families that they support in the Spring Branch area. John Malget connected us with West Houston Assistance Ministries, who also has an employment services program that we are going to investigate. While visiting the Brookwood Community (always a favorite for plants and flowers), John also found that they have a need for adult bikes for their clients.

Kevin Chang, our first volunteer from Facebook, came out to work on Saturday. We also had Jay Barr, and our workhorses - Jeff Stones and Taylor Benson. Youth included Carson Barr, Carson Lyda, Grant Lyda, Dawson Finklea, and Jess Thomas. There are some boys that are going to be thrilled with very nice Haro, Specialized, and GT freestyle BMX bikes. A beautiful Gary Fisher will provide reliable transportation for a tall adult man for years to come. Now to get them out in service!

We have our first organizational meeting on 27JAN11 at 7:30pm at Memorial Drive Christian Church (11750 Memorial Drive, 77024, 713.789.0060). Come out and hear about our goals for 2011 and the find your place to give.

Pay it Forward,

David

Donald Miner - a success story from MAM and Houston Cycling Centers

We received this great note from Bob King at MAM about one of the bikes that was donated on the 22JAN11 Rummel Creek Elementary PTA ReCycle Day.

Friends,

We delivered a nicely refurbished Trek bicycle today to Mr. Donald Miner, a client of MAM’s Employment Services program. Here is a letter of thanks he sent us, FYI. It tells his story better than we could.

Dear Yolanda and Bob,

This is my letter of appreciation for the bicycle given to me by the Cycle2Success collaboration. Please make sure your partners at both Houston Cycling Centres and Chain Reaction Ministries also know how thankful I am.

I work as a Security Officer for Houston Museum of Natural Science and also for Five Star Event Services. I do not own a car. Numerous times I walk from Houston Museum during early morning hours, from 12 midnight to 6am, when there isn’t bus transportation; and for me, a cab is totally unaffordable. The new bike will help make my transportation issues much simpler, not to mention the good health benefits of some more physical activity.

Thank you also to Spring Valley Cyclery for the additional safety and protection equipment of a helmet and lock.

Best of Blessings,
Donald Miner

110 New Bikes!

11o Bikes

That is not a typo. That is the power of the Rummel Creek Elementary PTA network. I watched with amazement as the flurry of emails were passed around. It was like the 1970’s Faberge Shampoo commercial where, “and they will tell two friends….” We picked up 7 bikes before the event, and then they just kept coming on Saturday, 15JAN11. The partnership with the Rummel Creek PTA is a good lesson in networking, timing, and relationship building. These lessons will be shared in our organizational meeting later this month, and detailed later in the summary.

We got two bikes from a reader of the Houston Examiner article referenced last month!

Now to the important point—inventory management. Jeff Stones, Taylor Benson, and I are assessing the current inventory and making plans for our Saturday, 22JAN11 workday from 2-4pm. We will have the parts we need for many of the bikes, but we need volunteers to help in the following ways:

1) Mechanics—We will process the easy bikes to fix first. You don’t have to be a pro mechanic. If you can turn a wrench, we can have you changing tires/tubes, seats, and handbar grips in no time. This is a great family activity, as testified by Sarah Tyler and her kids. It is a great opportunity for youth to learn basic bicycle maintenance.

2) Washing / Lubing—A great kids activity, and those that don't like grease.

3) Transportation - Delivery to our partners needs to happen before Saturday, 22JAN11.

4) New Partner Charities—If you want to help interview potential partner charities, please call John Malget, Associate Minister at 713.789.0060 or
revjmalget@earthlink.net.

We will have our first organizational meeting on 27JAN11 at 7:30pm at the church. We will be discussing our 2011 goals and various focused efforts that will help us reach more needs in the community. Come join us!

Pay it Forward

David
James 2:18