Liberty donates abandoned bicycles to local charity

Tershaud Rose recently received a bicycle, courtesy of Liberty University and Lynchburg Daily Bread (photo submitted by LBD).

Liberty University recently donated 41 abandoned bicycles to Lynchburg Daily Bread (LDB), a local nonprofit that provides meals to the hungry downtown.

The bikes had been left on campus and were unclaimed for a significant period of time before Liberty’s Police Department decided to offer them to people who could use them.

“Lynchburg Daily Bread was so blessed by this unexpected gift,” said Tracey Dixon, executive director. “Our guests were so grateful for this remarkably kind gesture. (The bicycles) are being put to immediate use to help locals in need get to work, save on bus fare, and get in shape. The recipients have told us this gift is life-changing.”

Recipients have used the bikes to cut back on travel time to doctor appointments and job interviews and to make the trip to LDB for a meal easier. Dixon said some people walk more than 3 miles to LDB for a meal.

“It can be hard for us to imagine life without a vehicle,” Dixon said, “but that’s a daily reality for nearly all of the guests at Daily Bread. The gift of transportation is invaluable.”

Such was the case for Tershaud Rose, who said that when he came to LDB and saw that they were giving away bikes, he felt “like a kid in a candy store.”

“I really appreciate (the bike),” Rose said. “I am able to get around more and apply for jobs a lot easier.”

Liberty regularly contributes food to Lynchburg Daily Bread from several of its campus dining locations, including Doc’s, the Fresh Market buffet, and the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall. LDB also receives donations from Liberty’s weekly Farmer’s Market.

In 2013, Lynchburg Daily Bread distributed more than 50,000 meals to the homeless and hungry in the Lynchburg and Amherst County communities. Serving nutritious lunches 365 days a year in a Christian environment, the ministry reaches out to the unemployed, the disabled, families with small children, single parents, and a significant number of senior citizens.