WANTED: Your Old, Dusty Bicycle!

Homelessness for Stupid People

The foibles of the most pampered homeless population in the Bay Area...

Once upon a time I wrote about a bicycle and how valuable such a thing is to anyone who is homeless. Not just here in Livermore, but anywhere! The homeless and bicycles go together like... well, sort of like Cowboys and Horses. Not quite, but sort-of. I know, I live out of a bicycle and have had to learn how to do things like Change Spokes, true a wheel, adjust cables... okay, so I'm really not so good at adjusting cables, but, lucky me, I've got Awesome Bicycle Guru to do that for me!

Heh... he'll hate me for mentioning him, but such is the price if being so good and generous... No good deed goes unpunished, ABG, so get over it... this is your punishment! Just ask Sandra Chesterman about that...

Yeah, Sandra Chesterman I've mentioned her repeatedly in my blog postings. Hers is a name any homeless person in Livermore knows because of her ubiquitous efforts to serve the homeless! She's the mother of two lovely girls and a young man, wife to their father, and an object of affection for the resident Dallas Cowboys fan. I'd get into what she did last night for someone in need, but her husband would probably have my head on a platter if I did... (shout-out to Dave [Sandra's husband], good guy!)... The point is that Sandra does a WHOLE LOT for the homeless! Check out This Story and you'll see just how dedicated this woman is!

Sandra volunteers for Open Heart Kitchen, is the director of the Warming Centre and serves the homeless just about full time as if she were being paid to do it. If there were any kind of awards for community service Sandra would be amongst the most deserving.

Her latest project is in recognition of a need that has existed for quite some time. Awesome Bicycle Guru (ABG) has also, in his way, recognized this need and has, for the past several weeks, been doing much needed maintenance on ageing bikes that are often falling apart. ABG doesn't just fix bikes, he'll also encourage anyone with half an attention span to learn how to do what he does, teaching as he works. Teaching bike maintenance is very big deal to him! He just showed me how to keep my spare spokes (bicycle seat tube! WHO KNEW!) On Monday he's insisting I learn how to round my wheel... (yeah, advanced stuff I'll probably flub).

ABG and Sandra met for the very first time this afternoon, which excited them both especially with Sandra's latest project:

Sandra Chesterman has had a bike drive going for the past three weeks. So far, she's had eight bikes promised, none delivered, and eight requests... hmmm....

But, because of this new alliance, ABG and Sandra, the parameters have been widened. Sandra will now be accepting any serviceable bicycle that has a hope of repair. ABG will do the repair (with whatever support he can commandeer) to get any donated bicycles road worthy.

Sandra is accepting children's bicycles as well as adult bicycles with the intention of providing them not only to the homeless, but families in need. Sandra will provide helmets for the children and bike locks to the adults with every donated bicycle.

Also requested are 26” inner tubes and tires.

Donations of Bicycles will be accepted Monday Mornings: 8-11AM and Thursday Afternoon 3-6PM at Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 460 North Livermore Avenue in Livermore, two blocks north of Chestnut Street. You can also call Sandra Chesterman at 925-525-1200 to arrange for a pick-up.

Bicycles simply make life easier for anyone who has to carry everything everywhere. There's always a shortage of them. Before ABG committed his services and teaching, the vast majority of them didn't last very long. Now that his resources are present, you can be reasonably assured that bike old you donate will be appreciated and cared for.

Vineyard Christian Fellowship
460 North Livermore Avenue
Livermore, CA

Monday Morning – 8-11, Please see Mr. or Mrs. Kundert, the Volunteers in Charge

Thursday Afternoon -3-6PM, Please See Sandra Chesterman

For Pick Up Arrangements call Sandra Chesterman – 925 525 1200