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Volunteers repair bicycles for Central Florida's homeless community

7th-Day ReCYCLEry getting results for those in need

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando non-profit organization is getting results for Central Florida's homeless community by repairing and donating bicycles to those in need.

For many who live on the streets, like Joe Jeffreys, the two wheels on their bicycles are all they have.

"That's my only transportation. I actually work two jobs, and that's the only way I can get back and forth," Jeffreys said.

Sometimes, their livelihood can stop working.

"The brakes were squealing, it was all out of alignment, it wasn't shifting right, the seat was all torn up," Jeffreys said.

And that's when they take their bikes to Russ Durham.

"It's an outreach of love to our community," Durham, the president and founder of 7th-Day ReCYCLEry, said.

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Durham started his ministry, 7th-Day ReCYCLEry, nine years ago. Every three months, he and several volunteers meet in the parking lot of the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to repair and provide bikes to the homeless.

"I'm fixing him up. Trying to help our neighbors out a little bit over here," one volunteer said.

They do everything from checking the brakes and tires to replacing chains and seats.

"I rotated his handle bars to make it more comfortable for him while he's riding," another volunteer said.

They make sure everyone is able to get to where they need to go safely.

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"We don't want anyone getting hurt, because homeless lives matter, too," Durham said.

Durham says he doesn't know how many bikes he's fixed or how many lives he's touched over the years. But he does know the satisfaction of getting results for a community in need.

"We love to help people. It's a chance to do something unique that you don't see everywhere," Durham said.

Volunteers are helping the homeless get their lives back in balance by moving forward.

"Some of us don't have a penny in our pockets, and that's the only way anybody can get out of here and make a better life for themselves," Jeffreys said.

Click here to learn more about the 7th-Day ReCYCLEry ministry.
 


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