Why Salvation Army?

As I’ve stated in this blog previously, I am not a spiritual or religious person. I am an Atheist. The Salvation Army is obviously a church-based organization and evangelism is a part of its mission. Why then do I donate many of my bicycles to this organization that is antithetical to my belief system?

I hope that my bikes will end up in the hands of people who need them. I think that the Salvation Army store to which I donate bikes is in the best position to get them to the needy. The store is located just on the city line. It’s in a working-class neighborhood and the people that shop there (generally) are shopping there out of need.

There are other Salvation Army stores and thrift stores run by other organizations in my area that are in “nicer” neighborhoods and they seem to cater to a different clientele – wealthier people looking for bargains or harder-to-find goods. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with this approach for it brings in needed revenue for the charity.

When I donate a bike, it goes directly out to the floor. I’ve witnessed families buying the bicycles within moments of my donation. The kids were so excited, it made me feel great! I’ve also been asked for a bike before I even wheeled it into the store. I had no problem giving it away right there, directly.

Occasionally, I’ll drop by the store and look around. Only once have I seen one of my donated bikes there a few weeks after I brought it in.

I’ve given my local store 44 bicycles since 2006.

Twice I have seen bikes that I’ve given to the Salvation Army out “in the wild.”

The first time, I saw a kids’ bike that I had fixed for sale at a yard sale near my neighborhood. That was slightly disappointing. The guy obviously bought the bike and was trying to resell it for a profit (he has yard sales frequently and no children). I talked to the seller and told him that I had built that bike and given it to charity in the hopes that a needy kid in the city would get it. He seemed to get the idea and I’ve not seen any more of my bikes for sale from him again.

The second time, I saw a girls’ mountain bike that I repaired being ridden down the street by an older man. He had a big grin on his face – he was obviously enjoying the ride. Perhaps it was his first bike ride in many years. This has motivated me to keep up with the work!

I’ve gotten into discussion on online message boards regarding donating bikes to thrift stores. Some people claim that it’s not the most effective way to get them to the needy and that there is a lot of corruption and waste at these shops. That’s probably true for some stores in some locations, but I am convinced that most of my donations are getting to the people.

I’ve been told that a bike co-op or similar is the best place for giveaway bikes. We did have a program like that in a nearby city. I gave them some frames and wheels. Unfortunately, I think they’ve moved to a new location and are not functioning at this time. I’ve heard about another program in the city to which I am closest and I might look into donating some of my better quality bicycles.

The title for Jacquie Phelan’s food blog, “Salivation Army,” is a brilliant pun.

Meandering is good

“Ride only when you feel like it.”
-Grant Petersen, “Tips For Happy Riding” (Rivbike.com)

“Ride on your own terms. Don’t think, “It’s a sunny Saturday, I have a fantastic bicycle, I
must ride forty miles.” You’ll have more fun (and you will ride more often!) if you ride
only when you feel like it. Your bike isn’t the boss of you!”
-Grant Petersen, 2010 Rivendell Catalog (Rivbike.com)


Last Sunday was sunny and in the 30s (Fahrenheit) in my area. It was warmer than the day before, with slightly less wind. I had some free time in the afternoon, so I felt like I should get out for a ride. The thing is I didn’t really feel like putting on several layers of wool and such. So, I threw a fleece over my regular clothes and hopped on the winter beater.

There are times when I have a clear goal or destination for a ride. I either follow an established route or I plot a new one on Mapmyride.com.

I didn’t feel like riding like that. I had no real plan. I simply wandered north, taking a different street than I usually do. I meandered down to a short stretch of bike path that wanders along a river. I scooted over to a park and rode on the grass (frozen, covered with a crust of old snow). I rode along another part of the river, then down a wide road with a good shoulder. Back on to another section of the bike path, I went back and forth under the tunnel, enjoying the feel of the bike along the pavement and laughing as I jumped snow banks like a kid.

I had only intended to go out for a short one. I came home an hour later. Short by summer standards, but this is February.

I had a great time.

I have no idea how many miles I covered; the winter beater doesn’t have a computer. With all the off-road exploring I can’t go back and put a route into mapmyride to determine the mileage. I don’t really care.

I found two pennies. Meandering is good.