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Annalia Rayo
Huntington Woods
Hero Story
At Samaritas, many of our refugee clients find transportation to be a big challenge upon arrival to the U.S. It takes time to go through driver’s education, take a driving test, save up for a car, and then maintain the costs associated with maintaining and insuring a vehicle. Learning public transportation can also be a challenge, and may not always be a cost-effective option for them either. Bicycles offer an excellent alternative for clients that is both cost-effective and helps offer transportation that can eliminate barriers to employment, access to healthcare, and other important contributors to self-sufficiency and overall well-being.
Previously, procuring all of the bikes needed to supply our clients took up a large amount of time and effort by staff who were already struggling to keep up on all of the many tasks on their plates. Because staff were spread so thin, it took longer to procure the bikes that we could provide, which meant clients had to live with the effects of lack of transportation longer in the meantime. However, last fall, Annalia approached us and asked if it would be helpful for her to collect bikes on our behalf and deliver them to clients. The answer from us was a resounding “Yes!”.
Annalia rallied the community around her and created Pedaling Forward. They have done the work of not only collecting over 50 bikes, but they make any necessary repairs to make sure they are in good condition and safe for clients. They also deliver the bikes directly to client homes, since they do not have the transportation to pick them up themselves. Between all of this, as well as the detailed documentation she has been providing Samaritas to make sure our own record-keeping is accurate, Annalia has saved the Samaritas staff countless hours of work that has allowed us to focus more on our client’s other needs, as well as get clients the transportation they need in a timely manner.
Bikes provided by Annalia have allowed for one client to accept a job offer that she otherwise wouldn’t have transportation to get to, and helped a group of four other women save a significant part of their paycheck that was previously spent on taking an Uber to work, which helped them have more in their budget that ultimately helped them to find stable housing. This is only two examples of the many bikes that Annalia and Pedaling Forward has supplied our refugee clients, and all of our clients who have received one of their bikes has expressed immense gratitude!
Seeing this need in our community, Annalia rose to the occasion without waiting to be asked. Through thoughtful consideration and deliberation with our staff to make sure her idea would actually be helpful, she has met a great need at our organization. Each bike provided makes another household more stable, which in turn makes the whole community stronger.
Annalia Rayo
Huntington Woods
Hero Story
At Samaritas, many of our refugee clients find transportation to be a big challenge upon arrival to the U.S. It takes time to go through driver’s education, take a driving test, save up for a car, and then maintain the costs associated with maintaining and insuring a vehicle. Learning public transportation can also be a challenge, and may not always be a cost-effective option for them either. Bicycles offer an excellent alternative for clients that is both cost-effective and helps offer transportation that can eliminate barriers to employment, access to healthcare, and other important contributors to self-sufficiency and overall well-being.
Previously, procuring all of the bikes needed to supply our clients took up a large amount of time and effort by staff who were already struggling to keep up on all of the many tasks on their plates. Because staff were spread so thin, it took longer to procure the bikes that we could provide, which meant clients had to live with the effects of lack of transportation longer in the meantime. However, last fall, Annalia approached us and asked if it would be helpful for her to collect bikes on our behalf and deliver them to clients. The answer from us was a resounding “Yes!”.
Annalia rallied the community around her and created Pedaling Forward. They have done the work of not only collecting over 50 bikes, but they make any necessary repairs to make sure they are in good condition and safe for clients. They also deliver the bikes directly to client homes, since they do not have the transportation to pick them up themselves. Between all of this, as well as the detailed documentation she has been providing Samaritas to make sure our own record-keeping is accurate, Annalia has saved the Samaritas staff countless hours of work that has allowed us to focus more on our client’s other needs, as well as get clients the transportation they need in a timely manner.
Bikes provided by Annalia have allowed for one client to accept a job offer that she otherwise wouldn’t have transportation to get to, and helped a group of four other women save a significant part of their paycheck that was previously spent on taking an Uber to work, which helped them have more in their budget that ultimately helped them to find stable housing. This is only two examples of the many bikes that Annalia and Pedaling Forward has supplied our refugee clients, and all of our clients who have received one of their bikes has expressed immense gratitude!
Seeing this need in our community, Annalia rose to the occasion without waiting to be asked. Through thoughtful consideration and deliberation with our staff to make sure her idea would actually be helpful, she has met a great need at our organization. Each bike provided makes another household more stable, which in turn makes the whole community stronger.