A life-changing bike

By Troy Hill

After fleeing an abusive marriage without any resources, Alinda Nelson had to survive on the street, but she never gave up on rebuilding her life and finding another job. Finding St. Vincent de Paul and its rehousing programs gave her the security and resources to get back on her feet, but she had one major obstacle: Transportation. Fortunately, SVdP had a plan for that and gave her a newly refurbished bike. Now, she’s looking for a job in a much faster, safer, and stylish way and has high hopes for her future.

When her marriage spiraled into abuse, Alinda made the choice no one should have to make.

“I knew that it was either leave or die,” she said. “I grabbed what I could, which was literally the stuff I had on from work, and took off out the door.”

She lived out of her car for a few weeks, but because it was both in her and her former partner’s name, he called it in as stolen. After being confronted by police several times, Alinda had had enough and gave it back to the dealership. In the course of weeks, Alinda was on the street, without transportation, emotionally devastated, and on top of it, she lost her job during of all the chaos. 

But that didn’t stop her. She spent a few more weeks on the street, but was continually looking for a job or other ways to find help. That’s how she found a local partner organization that connected her with SVdP.

SVdP staff took her to Washington St. shelter, SVdP’s 200-bed emergency shelter. Because Alinda demonstrated drive and promise, SVdP transferred her to its workforce housing program at Rosalie’s Place, which focuses on helping working or job-ready adults to secure employment and find permanent housing. 

“My case manager there said that Rosalie’s Place would be a good fit for me… because I was looking for work every day,” she said.

Alinda was steadfast in her job search, but her lack of transportation made looking for job opportunities a huge challenge, especially in the Valley's brutal summer.

Fortunately, after meeting with her case managers and telling them the hurdles she was facing, they knew exactly how they could help: A newly refurbished bike from SVdP’s Bike Shop, which repairs and refurbishes about 80 donated bikes a month to give to guests of SVdP's dining rooms and shelters.

“Once I got here, I talked to my case manager and when I explained the situation, he said, ‘Well, maybe you qualify for a bike.' The next day, they took me over and said, ‘Here you go.' They gave me a bike lock and a bike, and you put your name on it and make sure you lock it up," she said. 

The bike has been a game changer for Alinda. 

“I go to interviews on it, even just looking for a job. I'm not used to not working. This is the longest I have been without a solid job. I still go out every day, even though it's so hot right now,” she said. “I feel safer with the bike, getting around a lot faster. And it took a big burden off of me from being so hot."

The bike keeps Alinda from being out in the sun for as long as she’d have to be if she was walking to interviews, appointments, or job hunting. Another handy aspect is how she can even take it on the bus, further extending areas she can access. And she hasn’t been using the bike for strictly business either. It’s been instrumental in helping her run errands, get to doctors’ appointments, and even get some exercise.

“When I first got the bike, I hadn’t ridden a bike in 20 years, give or take, but after I got it, I started riding at least 20 minutes a day, every day, to get used to it. And it started becoming more of like a workout,” she said. “I like it. I can go and just relax, like at the end of the day when the sun's going down, I'll go for a 20-minute bike ride just to kind of get out of here, clear my mind.”

Alinda’s not the only one who has been affected by a simple bike. Many other residents at SVdP’s shelters have been recipients, and Alinda said she sees the results.

“It’s not just helped me. I've seen bikes help several people here,” she said. “There's another lady that constantly bikes to work, she's getting ready to move into her own place.”

Alinda thinks the secret to the success of both SVdP's Bike Shop program and Rosalie’s Place is the focus on care and deep human connection. 

“I noticed that it's really people helping other people, that's one of the things about this program,” she said. “It's kind of like a little family… The staff here really do care. I mean, like they know us on a personal level. They come and check on us, and that feels good to have that kind of support."

As Alinda gets ready for steady work, she often reflects on her journey and all the pieces, people, and generosity that had to come together to give her this opportunity to rebuild her life. 

“Rosalie’s Place and the Bike Shop are great programs,” she said. "It's an amazing thing that strangers out there donate bikes to help people they don't even know, but it really does change our lives. It really does help us.”

All of Alinda’s work is starting to pay off. She has been applying nonstop and has recently received a few job offers. Now she just has to choose which one she wants to run with — or better yet, bike to.