Bikes from the Heart: Sacred Heart ministry hits 3,000 bike milestone in Tampa
Blessing of the Bikes
The Sacred Heart's Blessing of the Bikes event is commemorating the milestone of 3,000 bikes donated to people in need across the Bay Area over the years. FOX 13's Heather Healy reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - A volunteer-run ministry at Sacred Heart Catholic Church reached a major milestone by presenting its 3,000th refurbished bicycle to a client of the Tampa Hope homeless shelter on Saturday morning.
Milestone bike delivery
What we know:
The ministry started about three years ago, picking up roughly 80 bikes each month from around the city, police departments and transit partners. Volunteers fix up the donated and used bicycles to give people across Tampa Bay a reliable way to get around.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Catholic Charities and other community leaders gathered to mark the occasion. Many bike recipients return to volunteer at the shop or secure jobs because they finally have dependable transportation. One recipient said he was blessed with transportation after learning about the ministry while walking and riding public transit, eventually volunteering, as workers built a bike for him.
Community ride send-off
The backstory:
Before cyclists hit the road, Franciscan friars from Sacred Heart and faith leaders from Hyde Park United Methodist and St. Joseph's Episcopal held a special blessing for the bicycles and their riders.
About 80 riders participated in a 3-mile ride led by Tampa Police Department officers, traveling from downtown Tampa to the ministry's workshop at Sacred Heart's North Campus. Organizers say helping neighbors with transportation turns recipients into family and builds a stronger community one bike at a time.
Future ministry expansion
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet specified when the ministry plans to expand its workshop space or if additional drop-off locations for bike donations will be added in Tampa Bay.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Bikes from the Heart co-founder Tim Eves, Sacred Heart Catholic Church Director of Communications Rob Boelke, and bike recipient Tareef Davis.