Still, Long said he and his volunteers are, “giving it our best shot.” He said they’ve also modified the way they work to keep their volunteers safe.

“Our normal sessions after Thanksgiving would usually have nearly a dozen of our regular volunteers cranking out bikes for us to donate. This year that has been replaced with volunteers picking up bikes to work on at home and bringing back the ones that are ready to go,” he said. “Each bike that we donate will also come with a brand new helmet and a pocket guide on how to ride safe.”

Caila Brown, executive director of Bike Walk Savannah, said the organization’s Holiday Bike Drive is continuing this year, but has a new sense of urgency and new challenges.

“This is the seventh year we will be working with Blessings in a Book Bag, an organization that provides food, uniforms, supplies and mentoring to kids in our Title I schools. Our volunteer driven program collects bikes from around the community, fixes them up, and works with BiBB to identify kids of all ages who have put in hard work — especially during a tumultuous year of virtual learning — and may not receive many presents otherwise.”

Brown said economic pressures faced by struggling families are even worse this year, and she hopes that will motivate people to dust off bikes that have been outgrown so they can be enjoyed by children who wouldn’t be likely to receive a bike of their own.

“We all remember the first bike that was all ours, and the feeling of freedom and power that came with it. But for some kids in our community, they won’t see a bike shaped wrapper under the tree — and may not see any presents this year. Many families in our community have already faced employment, housing and food crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are going to feel the impacts tenfold this holiday season.”

Brown’s organization has also taken steps to protect the health of her volunteers, by reducing the number who are participating in the program this year. They also move their workstations into the parking lot and limit their time inside the building.

“These volunteers work outside, increasing the amount of space available to distance,” she said.

In Middle Georgia, Charise Stephens of U Create Macon said her organization is holding an end of the year bike drive to supply bikes, “not only for the bike teams (Middle Georgia Composite, Major Taylor Middle Georgia, Trips for Kids Middle GA, and We Bike GA) but to give out to underprivileged youths, including some of the kids on the team so they can have their own bike.” 

 
Stephens said U Create is receiving bikes through a contactless, curbside drop-off system designed to keep volunteers and donors safe. She has a list of children she’s trying to find bikes for before Christmas and has been pleased with the generosity of donors, who she follows up with to report on how the bikes are changing children’s lives. And she’s detected another factor at work.

“A lot of people are at home and have more time on their hands because of the pandemic, so they are looking around and see these bikes collecting dust in their garages.” she said. “They want to do something positive with them.”

Donating to U Create is a perfect match in these cases, Stephens said.

“That is what we are trying to achieve here in Middle Georgia,” she said. “To get more kids on bikes!”