Kane County's Recycling Effort Helps Provide Bicycles to the Homeless

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During its largest recycling event of the year, Kane County partnered with Hesed House in Aurora to collect bicycles. Hesed House is the second-largest homeless shelter in the state of Illinois and runs an all-volunteer bicycle ministry. The volunteers collect donated bikes, which are refurbished and given to guests, with bike repairs being completely free for all those they serve. This includes guests in the men’s shelter, women’s shelter, family shelter, and several permanent supportive housing programs in the community.

The effort paid off.

“We collected over 50 adult and children’s bikes in total, thanks to this event! Many of the bicycles were in great shape and need little work. Others we will be able to salvage parts from for the ministry,” said Bruce Bachmeier, Director of Donations and Program Support at Hesed House.

Bachmeier said they had hoped that volunteering at Kane County’s Recycling Extravaganza would be a great opportunity to collect many bikes at one time for guests at Hesed House, and the event exceeded their expectations.

“This was the largest one-day bike collection we have ever had! It was also inspiring to be a small part of such a large overall recycling event. We loved the overall atmosphere and positive energy from Kane County Recycling Coordinator Clair Ryan and the volunteers, as well as the community recyclers driving through!”

Bachmeier added that bicycles are a lifeline for many of the adult guests at Hesed House because of the “enormous” transportation issues faced by those experiencing homelessness in the suburbs.

“With public transit not always getting you where you need to be—especially for second or third shifts at work, medical appointments, etc.—bicycles are a lifeline for many of our adult guests,” he said. “We also refurbish children’s bikes for our family shelter, helping to bring some joy to the children during a difficult time.”

The Hesed House all-volunteer Bicycle Ministry is run by volunteers Brian Schluntz, John Osterman, Norm Jerome, and Todd VonOhlen. In 2023, the Bicycle Ministry provided over 90 bikes to clients and completed an additional 100+ repairs.

“I want to extend my most sincere thanks to those who donated bikes,” said Schluntz. “I struggle to put into words the sense of deep personal satisfaction not only from the work but from knowing that someone’s livelihood is in my hands.”

For more information or to find out how you can help the Hesed House Bicycle Ministry, please contact Bruce Bachmeier at bbachmeier@hesedhouse.org.