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