Two Area Churches to Hold Bike Drives

Bicycles in any condition are being accepted by two DuPage County churches for makeovers before sending them to those needing transportation, both locally and around the world. The donations are even tax deductible.

The first Giant Humanitarian Bike Drive is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Gary Memorial United Methodist Church, 224 N. Main St., Wheaton.

The second drive is from 8 to 11 a.m. Aug. 20 at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, 155 N. Prince Crossing Road, West Chicago.

At Gary Methodist, bikes of any condition are welcome and volunteers will be on hand to prep and sort the bikes in the parking lot west of the church.

The Rev. E. Taveirne said that he’d heard about such programs and felt it would be a good effort for the church.

“The bikes will end up any number of places, in Chicago, in the suburbs, or to be sold at a retail shop in the city to raise funds for overseas shipments of bikes,” Taveirne said.

“They may go to homeless people or to developing countries, where owning a bike can be a dream.”

The organization that will refurbish and distribute the bikes is Working Bikes Cooperative. Based in Chicago, the nonprofit group was founded in 2001 and recycles bikes locally or sells them at low cost to fund shipments of bicycles and bike parts to developing countries.

The cooperative has shipped thousands of bikes and repair parts to Nicaragua, Cuba, Kenya and Ghana. Most of the group’s efforts are coordinated by volunteers, with the exception of six part-time bike mechanics who make sure all bikes are in working order.

The collection and bike rally at St. Andrews will be the third one for that church. The event is again being organized by volunteers associated with a new local ministry called His Wheels International.

The founder of the ministry, Alice Teisan of Wheaton, said the collected bikes are often donated locally to immigrants, refugees, homeless people and ex-offenders, as well as to African countries.

She combines her bike collection and distribution program with the goal of spreading the Gospel.

“Whenever you go into a community with help for a basic need, it allows you to speak,” she said. “Our motto is ‘Mobilizing God’s Work Worldwide.’ “

Teisan said, for example, one destination for bikes or funds to purchase bikes is a seminary in Nigeria, where pastorates can use the transportation to minister to people living in the bush. For a local example, an ex-offender who received a bike said it was his first set of wheels in eight years.

“The emphasis is on sharing Christ’s love with those in need,” said Teisan, herself an avid biker and experienced African mission worker.

Organizers of both events stress that they will accept bikes in any condition.

For the collection today, visit www.workingbikes.org or call (630) 668-3100.

For St. Andrews Lutheran Church, visit www.hiswheelsintl.org or call (630) 510-1005.