A Word from Barrios Unidos
We’re just getting started; but we’ve already donated bikes to our partner Barrios Unidos. Barrios Unidos' counselors provide preventive individual and group counseling to students at Pajaro Valley and Santa Cruz high schools to make sure they stay focused on their education and stay away from negative peer influences at school and in their neighborhoods.
Here’s what they had to say when we asked them if they wanted bikes:
YES, we would love to receive these bikes to give away to our deserving youth.
We are thankful and humbled that you are thinking about the needs of the community members we work with. We have a variety of people including children, youth, and adults who are in need of a bike to get to and from school/work and/or will benefit from the fun of bicycle riding. We have community members re-entering into the community after a period of incarceration, who also can greatly benefit having a bicycle available to them for "freedom" rides and also searching for work or getting to and from a job.
Anytime, we as community members provide a HAND-UP (instead of a Hand –OUT), we strengthen independence, self-esteem and become participants in securing a healthier community.
Again, thank you for having the community members we work with in mind for your generous donation of bicycles.
In Peace and Community
Carol - MAA Health Coordinator, Barrios Unidos
And here is what they said when they got their first delivery:
Thank you very much for the donation, we have a great group of kids who are so excited about their new bikes!
We look forward to many more engagements with this and many other organizations in our community.
Edited by Dave Fork, February 15, 2015