Supporting Project Bicycle Love

For most kids, getting a new bike is almost a rite of passage in their families. But for those who have spent a big chunk of their childhood in the foster care system, having a bike of their own is usually the stuff of dreams, hard to imagine in a life often defined by instability and tumult.

One of the goals of Church HR Network is to partner with ministries giving back to their community. We serve in our own churches, community, and globally. We are committed to supporting ministries like Project Bicycle Love (PBL).

In 2017, when Eric and Janet Baucom set out to donate some bikes to a small number of foster families in need, they had no idea where their act of generosity would lead. Their only expectation was to give local underserved children a Christmas memory they would never forget.

“We both love to bike ride and remember receiving a bike at Christmas.” After leaving her position at a local church and joining her husband Eric in the real estate business, Janet felt called to continue ministry in some way. “I had made some connections through my work at our church with program leaders in the foster care system and we thought this would be a fun way to fill a need.”

The Baucoms initial giveaway goal was twenty bikes. Though they thought their goal was a stretch, it quickly grew to giving away 56 bikes when their idea blossomed into something unexpected. “We identified potential recipients by reviewing applications sent by social workers who nominated children based on their need. We figured we might get a few responses, but we realized there were many children who would greatly benefit from receiving a new bike, not only for fun, but for transportation,” Janet says. For the Baucoms, each story seemed too compelling to discount. Almost immediately, they were aware they wanted to make their mission available to more families. “Once people in the community found out about what we were doing, we had bikes being shipped to our house or left at the office,” Eric says.

Bicycle construction soon became a family event. “Our son is an engineer, and we felt confident that he and Eric could handle building the bikes together. Most of them did not come pre-assembled,” Janet says. The Baucoms did not stop at purchasing and assembling bikes. They wanted to make sure each child would be immediately impacted by this gift. They also purchased helmets, water bottles, and a new Bible to go with each bike. “We wanted the gift to bring them joy, but also point them to God’s love,” Janet says.

Before long, word of the Baucoms bike project got around. According to Eric, “People started stopping us at church and handing us money to help the cause.” “We knew then we had to properly allocate the resources into a 501(c)(3) which we named Project Bicycle Love. For the Baucoms, the problem was not about fundraising, it was where to keep all of the bikes being donated and purchased before Christmas. Prior to starting Project Bicycle Love they had moved their real estate business to another office space. “When we moved to the larger office it was way bigger than we needed, but we felt it was the right place at the time. I remember thinking, ‘What are we going to do with all of this extra space?’ but obviously God knew.” Nearly every inch of garage and office space was used to house boxes of bikes received from donors, financial donations, and deals made with distributors like Huffy and Walmart. “And when we say we used up all of our office space, we mean that at one point, we had bikes parked on top of our desks,” remembers Eric.

The Baucoms’ program became so well-known, they offered bike assembly parties at their church as a way for others to help. Throughout the growth of Project Bicycle Love, the Baucoms found the act of giving out bikes one of the most satisfying points. “We had a family who had a teen nominated by their social worker, but when the family arrived, there were two other children with them. “We knew immediately we were going to give each child a bike. The look of surprise and gratitude on their faces when we asked the siblings if they wanted to pick out a bike too, was unforgettable. It really gets you right in the heart,” says Eric.

Growing their mission to give to their community was not always easy, but thanks to the Baucoms diligent efforts through connecting with social workers, searching for grants, or finding better quality bicycles and partnering with their church, their goals grew year after year. Janet commented, “So many people wanted to help, we actually had to take a step back and consider what a realistic ministry looked like for us while we carry on the work of our real estate business.” Once the leaders heard about Project Bicycle Love, the Baucoms had other programs, including those for adults, clamoring to be considered for donations. “PBL grew so fast that I could have easily worked on it year around,” Janet says. “One thing we would say to anyone wanting to grow a similar ministry is to determine who your target recipient is and focus on them. For us it was foster children in need.”

The Baucom’s continue to be moved by God’s provision and love especially for children experiencing financial hardship and family trauma. What was once a seemingly small step of generosity is still leaving a big mark on the hearts of their community. Since its first year, Project Bicycle Love has given out over 1,100 brand new bicycles through its generous partners. Janet and Eric, who have long been cycling for fun and exercise, remain astonished at what their initial idea became. When asked why they chose to make a bicycle the means by which to display God’s love, they were unified in their answer, “Who doesn’t love getting a shiny new bike for Christmas?” And this is clearly the case.

If you would like to partner with Church HR Network in supporting Project Bicycle Love, please visit https://www.bicyclelove.org/ for more information.