The Jubilee Ministry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Coeur d’Alene, in The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane, recently initiated a new program to assist both the homeless, and low income men and women in their community. Their program is based around refurbishing bikes to help individuals travel throughout their community where they would typically have no other method of transportation. The project was, first and foremost, undertaken with great care as the staff members went into the community to listen to concerns, discover interests, and identify ways to improve the community as a whole.
Throughout the process of refurbishing and donating bikes, St. Luke’s learned about the issues men and women face in their community regarding homelessness, mental illness, as well as issues related to individuals being released from incarceration with neither a job nor home. Transportation is essential to these struggling members of the community. With their refurbished bikes, these individuals are able to attend meetings and other gatherings within the city as well as search for potential job opportunities.
With the 2014 Jubilee Impact Grant, this ministry is able to purchase bikes (rather than rely on donations), purchase repair parts (chains, seats, gears, lubricating fluids, wheel rims, tires, tubes, etc), and pay the monthly storage rent where the bikes are kept. With these materials in hand, the ministry is able to focus on further ways to positively impact the area. The bikes are refurbished with high safety standards, and St. Luke’s even provides chains, locks, and helmets with their bikes. St. Luke’s has received multiple “thank you notes” throughout their work on the program
Not only is St. Luke’s working hard within Kootenai County, but their congregation also supports the Millennial Development Goals, giving 0.7% of their annual budget to several overseas programs. The parish has also adopted El Hogar in Honduras, whose mission is to transform and empower abandoned children through providing them with a loving home and education. St. Luke’s is making powerful changes locally and abroad.