favorite Jack the Bike Man is bringing its good work to Jupiter.
The , known for giving refurbished bicycles to children in need, is expanding its reach thanks to a grant from the .
Jack the Bike Man鈥檚 focus on bike safety and maintenance and the charity鈥檚 support for young people and their parents, are on point with the foundation鈥檚 goal of enriching lives, Executive Director Rebecca Divine told Stet News.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to partner with them,鈥� she said.
In 2024, Jack the Bike Man gave away nearly 1,500 bikes. This year, they鈥檝e distributed 800 bikes, putting them ahead of last year鈥檚 pace.
But sometimes it seems like the charity that provides transportation to others keeps hitting speed bumps.
The charity鈥檚 founder, Jack Hairston, 81, .
Last Christmas, its headquarters were robbed.
In February, at its property at 426 Claremore Drive in West Palm Beach destroyed the second floor and roof. The nonprofit has been .
鈥淏uyers keep falling through,鈥� Hernandez said. The plan was to use the building for the charity鈥檚 work, but 鈥淐OVID, city permits, the cost, all that stuff compounded and made it way too expensive.鈥�
They decided to seek a more suitable location. But the nonprofit has a small mortgage on the site, it鈥檚 the group鈥檚 only asset and the group needs money.
The charity needs help in its search for a permanent home, 鈥渋f anyone knows a landlord who won鈥檛 charge us an arm and leg,鈥� Hernandez said.
But that鈥檚 not his biggest worry: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be depleted after the back-to-school giveaways, so we鈥檙e asking the community for help.鈥�
Jack the Bike Man is seeking donations of bikes and cash to buy helmets, tires, parts and tools to get ready for the Christmas giveaway, its biggest event of the year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e optimistic that, with a strong push from the community to donate bikes in the coming months (fingers crossed!), we鈥檒l reach 1,600 or more by year-end,鈥� Hernandez said. 鈥淲e estimate that since Jack started all of this on his front porch, we鈥檝e given away around 30,000 bikes.鈥�
Since Hairston died, the organization has continued giving away bikes and establishing programs that help the community. It has worked with Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, Legal Aid Society, Guardian Ad Litem, the YMCA and Immersion Recovery Center and Chrysalis Health.
It has given bikes to children through Speak up for Kids, Guatemalan Maya Center, El Sol, St. John Fisher Catholic Church and Esperanza Center as well as the Palm Beach County School District through , in which elementary school students are given a bike, helmet and lock to acknowledge their excellence in school.
Where it鈥檚 going and the north county push
An increasing focus for the nonprofit is on north county, and a partnership with El Sol of Jupiter is part of that growth.
鈥淚 remember my first bike,鈥� said Cameron Kugel, El Sol鈥檚 development director. He also remembers the kids鈥� faces as they rode around El Sol鈥檚 parking lot on their new two-wheelers. That joy is a highlight of the annual back-to-school giveaway.
The bikes El Sol provides to its adult workers are just as meaningful, Kugel said. Jack鈥檚 bikes go to people of all ages for whom transportation is the answer to a prayer, from the first grader to the grandfather.
鈥淪o much depends on your ability to transport yourself and bikes are the primary mode of transportation for our clients,鈥� Kugel said. 鈥淭ransportation creates opportunities for better employment; it opens the labor market for them. We take for granted a five-minute car ride, but it would take a person an hour to walk that far. A bike cuts that commute time.鈥�
Clients use their bikes to pick up groceries and travel to doctor鈥檚 appointments. Public transportation is 鈥渘ot great鈥� as a solution for El Sol鈥檚 clients, Kugel said. It doesn鈥檛 go where it needs to go and the bus costs money.
Jack the Bike Man teaches clients how to maintain their bicycles. They run safety training and repair clinics.
Hernandez, and his team helped El Sol set up a bike repair station. Self-sufficiency is key.
Kugel, a Jupiter native, joined El Sol as a volunteer after learning about the work they do. When a staff position opened, he jumped in.
鈥淚 love giving back to my community,鈥� Kugel said. His focus is individual development, social media and volunteer recruitment and training.
Support for their work
Jack鈥檚 move into north county is bolstered by newfound support from the .
The foundation is the philanthropic arm of the huge gated community north of Donald Ross Road and east of Alternate A1A. It gives grants to nonprofits located from Northlake Boulevard to Tequesta, Divine said. Led by Admirals Cove residents, the primary goal is to support nonprofit programs that strengthen the local community.
In addition to the group鈥檚 generosity, the members are enthusiastic volunteers, she said. The foundation鈥檚 focus on participation includes championing resource drives and collecting and distributing nonperishable food, clothing, household goods, children鈥檚 books and durable medical equipment.
The biggest impact comes from the group鈥檚 annual grants. The foundation gave out more than $4 million in 2024.
Its allocation committee makes decisions based on visits to about 30 finalists. It looks for recipients that are 鈥減rogram-based,鈥� Divine said. They want programs, she said, that don鈥檛 give someone a fish, they teach him how to fish.
They found what they were looking for at Jack the Bike Man.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a true wraparound program,鈥� Divine said.
鈥淲e try to stay responsive to what the community needs.鈥�
Right now, it needs bikes.
Jack the Bike Man can be reached at 561-832-0071 or . You can visit the charity鈥檚 temporary facility and bike repair shop at, West Palm Beach.
Jack the Bike Man鈥檚 programs
Christmas Bike Donation: Its biggest and longest-running program is its gifts of bikes to children at Christmas.
The Bike Shop: Jack the Bike Man Inc. is a complete, full-service bicycle repair and maintenance facility. The shop sells restored, high-quality donated bicycles and offers repairs.
Earn A Bike: In exchange for 15 to 20 hours of volunteer work, participants can earn a bicycle, accessories or repair service.
Wheels Of Hope: By providing free refurbished bicycles to people and families in need 鈥� including students, individuals in recovery, people experiencing homelessness and low-income families 鈥� Wheels of Hope enables access to jobs, schools, medical appointments, recovery meetings and essential errands.
Character Counts: As a Gold Sponsor of , a global character education initiative, Jack the Bike Man gives a refurbished bike, helmet and lock to a local student monthly. Development Days: Businesses looking for new ways to bring workers together can host a bike-build event.
This story was originally published by , a SA国际传谋 News partner.
