With Veterans Day around the corner, we learned a lot about John Carter when he visited Freewheels Houston. His cap has the seal of the 101st Airborne. Patches mark his participation in Operation Desert Storm and other deployments.

Like many veterans, John’s life got more complicated back home. Today, he’s getting it back together; he’s completed a veteran readiness program and gotten a job at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He’s living with his adult daughter.

He came to Freewheels to meet one other need—a reliable bike that will help him get to his new job. Freewheels also gave him a helmet and a lock.

Freewheels has provided bikes and safety equipment to more than 40 veterans emerging from homelessness during 2022. Our work with vets began in 2016, when VA and USVETS case managers read a story about our bikes and started sending their clients to our shop in Gulfton.

Freewheels is an all-volunteer project located in Southwest Houston that repairs donated used bikes that provide transportation to refugees, veterans and young people from low-income families. If you want to help prepare bikes—even if you don’t know bike repair—please sign up for a shift at https://freewheelshouston.org/volunteer-at-freewheels/.

We also rely on the Houston community for financial support. To donate, please visit https://freewheelshouston.org/donate2fw/. Your contribution will pay for helmets, locks, lights and bike parts and help us maintain our well-equipped bike shop.