Better Together - BIKES for Refugees - Results

Jul 20

Shokria arrived from Afghanistan in January. She received this bike from a donor earlier this year and uses it to go to the grocery and to events at the RIC!

BIKES increase access for our neighbors

Columbus has welcomed more than 500 refugee families from Afghanistan in the past nine months, and RIC has been overwhelmed with requests for bikes. Bikes provide economical transportation to access jobs, grocery stores, shops, schools, libraries, friends in other neighborhoods, and local parks. At this point, many of the Afghan families have made great strides in settling into their new communities and a few have earned enough to buy a car. Emily Miller, specialist at the RIC said that “several were so excited to finally buy their own car, only to discover it was defective and became unusable within just a few weeks. Bikes are still in demand.”

Because of this Better Together project and donors who gave, we are able to purchase 20 refurbished bikes and safety gear through a partnership with Franklin Cycle Works. $300 is the average cost to purchase one bike and gear, which includes a helmet, bike lights, bike lock, and a basket.

“A lot of men from Afghanistan have shared with me that they want a bike to get to work. We often use Google maps and see that a bike is faster than walking and nearly as fast (and cheaper) than a bus.” - Emily Miller, RIC Career Consultant

More about Better Together from the Columbus Foundation

The Columbus Foundation’s crowdfunding platform, Better Together, provides ongoing opportunities for individuals to support Columbus nonprofits as they work to raise visibility into their programming needs, rally their supporters, and find new donors. Launched in 2017, the platform has featured a number of projects in 2021 that are helping nonprofits adapt as they continue to serve their clients during COVID-19. Together projects are time-sensitive opportunities to improve our community, together.

“Some see an old bike. We see a new start.”- Franklinton Cycle Works

Franklinton Cycle Works (FCW) is a nonprofit community bike shop that educates the neighborhood about the personal, environmental, social, and physical benefits of biking. Housed in Franklinton, FCW proudly provide the space, parts, tools, and knowledge to offer our neighbors affordable access to two wheels. They want to empower all to take advantage of the benefits of biking.