SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 5,500 people are experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County on any given night. Employment is a ticket out of that, but people have to be able to get to those jobs. Cycles 4 Hope is a Roseville-based non-profit organization that's giving the gift of mobility.
Gary DeLuca is one of dozens of volunteer bike mechanics with Cycles 4 Hope. The organization fixes up donated bikes and gives them to people experiencing homelessness.
"They need help, so it's nice to get them on the road,” DeLuca told ABC10 at Cycles 4 Hope homeless outreach event Saturday morning. “Maybe they need to get to the doctor or the store. It's nice to have some transportation."
Every second Saturday of the month – all year round - Cycles 4 Hope sets up its mobile repair shop for Sacramento's homeless community near the intersection of Ahern Street and McCormack Avenue, just down the street from Loaves and Fishes.
"Here you go. Got all the brakes adjusted,” DeLuca told Shawn Murphy, as he handed off the bike.
Murphy is experiencing homelessness and got his bike from Cycles 4 Hope a few months ago. He brings it back to the non-profit at these monthly events for repairs.
"This is like my everyday work horse, and it helps me get around to different appointments, get across town, in and off the light rails,” Murphy told ABC10, standing alongside his bicycle. “It's a big support to me, especially when you don't have transportation out here."
Shawn Holiday founded Cycles 4 Hope 11 years ago.
"Kind of our tagline is, we provide hope, opportunity, joy and independence,” Holiday said.
Since 2008, his organization has given out more than 12,000 bikes, “mostly in the greater Sacramento area, but we also give bikes away in Northern Mexico, and we ship bikes overseas to different regions of Africa.”
In that time, Holiday has seen bicycles transform lives.
"We've had a lot of people come to us years later and say, 'I was homeless, you gave us a bicycle. I was able to find a job, I was able to afford rent,” Holiday said.
Cycles 4 Hope is always looking for volunteers and donations of bikes-- and money.
"One way to support us is that we actually sell bikes,” Holiday said. “A very small percentage of bikes that come in are maybe higher-end bikes, nicer bikes that we fix up that we sell, and just like if you went into a Loves & Fishes or a Salvation Army store or a Goodwill, we sell donated products as well."
Buying a bike for yourself means providing hope for someone else, that they might break the cycle of homelessness.
"These [people] come out and volunteer their time to help us, and we appreciate them to the highest," Murphy said.
To raise more funds, Cycles 4 Hope is having a flash sale this week, selling bikes for 50% off. The sale is Wednesday and Thursday evening, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the organization’s Roseville Warehouse. That’s at 506 Tahoe Ave in Roseville, right near the high school.
People can donate at Cycles 4 Hope's website and Facebook page.
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