Communiserve looking to make a difference in West Virginia
Volunteers are surrounded by more than 250 bicycles being given away to both adults and youth Wednesday afternoon during Communicycle’s bike distribution at Hancock County Savings Bank on Carolina Avenue. The non-profit remediates bicycles and rehouses them through its distributions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia. (Review photo/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Volunteers are surrounded by more than 250 bicycles being given away to both adults and youth Wednesday afternoon during Communicycle’s bike distribution at Hancock County Savings Bank on Carolina Avenue. The non-profit remediates bicycles and rehouses them through its distributions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia. (Review photo/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Volunteers are surrounded by more than 250 bicycles being given away to both adults and youth Wednesday afternoon during Communicycle’s bike distribution at Hancock County Savings Bank on Carolina Avenue. The non-profit remediates bicycles and rehouses them through its distributions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia. (Review photo/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Volunteers are surrounded by more than 250 bicycles being given away to both adults and youth Wednesday afternoon during Communicycle’s bike distribution at Hancock County Savings Bank on Carolina Avenue. The non-profit remediates bicycles and rehouses them through its distributions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia. (Review photo/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Volunteers are surrounded by more than 250 bicycles being given away to both adults and youth Wednesday afternoon during Communicycle’s bike distribution at Hancock County Savings Bank on Carolina Avenue. The non-profit remediates bicycles and rehouses them through its distributions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia. (Review photo/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Volunteers are surrounded by more than 250 bicycles being given away to both adults and youth Wednesday afternoon during Communicycle’s bike distribution at Hancock County Savings Bank on Carolina Avenue. The non-profit remediates bicycles and rehouses them through its distributions in Ohio, Pennsylvania and now West Virginia. (Review photo/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
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CHESTER, W.Va. -- A western Pennsylvania non-profit has expanded its bike distribution a little southwest to the Northern Panhandle.
For more than a dozen years, Communicycle has delivered bicycles to adults and youth across Beaver County, Pa. and Columbiana County through its neighborhood distributions. Last week, it expanded its realm to Chester, where it recently opened a repair location at the city Municipal Building.
Bill Crawford, whose employer Hancock County Savings Bank hosted the inaugural West Virginia bike distribution, which was attended by hundreds midweek, volunteers for Communicycle in addition to serving as the bank's director of marketing and community relations for the bank. He was among the volunteers who prepared more than 280 bicycles for distribution for the crowd, which arrived early to wait in line and get a shot at their favorites.
Many of the two-wheelers were transported to the bank location courtesy of a tractor-trailer belonging to Six Recycling, which stores many of its bikes in the former Hall China building on East Liverpool's east end, Crawford added.
Pre-registration for the bicycle distribution was highly recommended; however, no one was refused.
Overall, 190 people preregistered for Wednesday's giveaway, according to Lee Montanari, one of the non-profit's founders. Those who signed up as walk-ins will be reached after the event for arrangements on being served.
In addition to Wednesday's event in Chester, Communicycle had subsequent distributions in Beaver and New Castle, Pa. Additional future events will be forthcoming in Chester.
Communiserve has been around since fall 2011, when it initially emerged in Aliquippa after not only forming to help provide a handicap ramp for a city woman but make repairs to the bicycle of the woman's grandson. Word spread and other neighborhood children reached out to get assistance with bicycles, according to its website.
Since then, Communicycle has distributed thousands of bikes, financing repair efforts through selling scrap and utilizing dedicated volunteers.
Montanari is enthusiastic about expanding efforts from the Midland, Pa. and East Liverpool location into Chester, W.Va., where the non-profit can serve more people.
For information, visit www.communicycle.org.