At The Salvation Army Phoenix Maryvale Corps, the anticipation that builds during the six-week bike program might rival that of Christmas morning.
“The kids were just so excited,” said Corps Officer Major Joseph Cisneros. “I talked to the parents the week before they took their bikes home, and… some of the kids could not sleep at night because they knew the next day, they were going to be able to get their own bike and ride their own bike.”
That’s, perhaps, the best part. The program teaches kids 7-18 how to build and maintain bikes, how to ride them and key safety elements—like the rules of the road—all within a spiritual framework. At the end of the program, the participants get to keep the bikes they’ve built and receive a helmet too…