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CV NEWS FEED // A Catholic church ministry in Tampa, Florida, recently delivered its 1,500th bicycle to a local shelter resident.
Bikes from the Heart, a volunteer-run ministry, operates in a convent at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and was founded by Tim Eves and Tom Henry, according to Tampa’s government website. The ministry focuses on collecting and refurbishing used bicycles into working order and delivering them to those in need.
Danielle Ritchie, a resident at the Tampa Hope Homeless Shelter, received the 1,500th bike Feb. 21. The shelter is a service provided by the City of Tampa and the Diocese of St. Petersburg’s Catholic Charities.
“For many of our neighbors in Tampa struggling with poverty, getting access to community resources can be a daily challenge, especially if they don’t have reliable or affordable transportation,” the City of Tampa reported. “It might seem small, but a bike can make a huge difference. It offers the transportation they need, independence, and connects them back to the resources in their community.”
Bikes from the Heart uses donations of pre-owned bikes and bike parts from diocese parishioners, local law enforcement, Tampa community members, and partners such as WellBuilt Bikes.
Tampa’s government website adds that the “ministry has grown to employ more than a dozen regular volunteers and hopes to refurbish and redistribute at least 1,000 bicycles each year.”
