What a new bike can mean!
Riding a bicycle has been a life-changing part of my life. As a child it provided transportation from my house to my grandmother’s and all the family who I grew up with. Having a bicycle in the 1970’s was also a means of socializing. My friend Lynn and I spent hours together riding the dirt trail through the woods that connected our homes. Many of my best childhood memories include a bicycle.
As a child riding a bike provided freedom, confidence, and connection. I had the freedom to imagine I was Evil Knievel as I sped down dirt and gravel roads. I had the confidence to try new things and go further distances. Additionally, there is a connection to family memories. I vividly remember one weekend when my mom, dad and I took an exceedingly long bike ride. We, probably, only rode ten miles, but in my mind, it was so much more than that.
One of my favorite childhood pictures is a picture of me, my sister, and our dog Tippy. Rhonda was standing with her beautiful banana seat bicycle. Her bicycle’s glitter seat shimmered in the sun, her basket was adorned with flowers and the streamers on her handlebars danced in the wind.
While my sister’s bike was built for beauty and cruising, mine was built for dirt, rocks, and adventure. Each time I rode my bike, my imagination would run wild. While that bike transported me to and from every house on the Westminster end of Coffee Road, it also served as a horse, rocket ship, and race car.
I, like many of you, was blessed with an ordinary childhood. I will forever be grateful for mom and dad who provided everything I never knew I needed, including that beautiful 1970’s Huffy bicycle, which unlocked imagination, connection, and so much more.
When children are placed at Collins Home Family Ministries, we work hard to establish a new normal for their young lives. As you can imagine, for many of those we serve, just having their own bed is an incredible gift and a blessing that many of them have never experienced. Our campus located off Keowee School Road in Seneca provides an environment where kids can be kids again.
Making sure each child has a bike is important in allowing a new, ordinary, childhood to take root. We are currently serving two boys who have been recently placed with us and do not currently have their own bikes and bike equipment. If you would like to assist us in providing for them, you can purchase tickets to our annual BBQ on our Events page or if the best chicken in Seneca is not your thing, then you can make an online donation at our Donate page or mail a check to our office, 110 Collins Home Drive, Seneca, SC 29672.
Thank you for always answering the call to serve the children who need you!
-Kelly Ross