A Bikes4Kids volunteer working on a re-purposed bike at the organization’s bike shop in Ham Lake. The program is operated out of a refurbished barn owned by retired farmers Al and Betty Sannerud. (Photo Credit: Bikes4Kids)
Bikes4Kids is part of the Robert and Wilma Burbach Bike Foundation. The group collects and refurbishes used, serviceable bicycles to redistribute to kids and people in need. The bikes come from recycling centers, businesses and individuals in Anoka County and/or the Twin City Metro Area. Each bike is given away free of charge with safety and maintenance instructions and a helmet. The Foundation will purchase parts, service the bicycles and fund the expenses through fundraising and sponsors. The RWBBF is an all-volunteer organization of very dedicated people from all walks of life, including from local bike shops who are specialists in all kinds of bike repair and service. On Monday, Lowell Kutches a volunteer for Bikes4Kids will talk to Coon Rapids Rotary about the group’s work in giving joy to kids, one bike at a time.
Answering the Timeless Question: “Who is My Neighbor?”
A contemporary story of Good Samaritans in Forest Lake
Mike Kaiser, founder of the Forest Lake Area Good Samaritans spoke to Coon Rapids Rotary on November 13, 2017.
It’s amazing what a little fresh air and exercise can do for the mind and body – what’s more how a small idea, can turn into big acts of kindness. For Mike Kaiser, a Coon Rapids-based financial advisor turned part time community service organizer, the inspiration to help others in need came during a morning run through the neighborhood near his home in Forest Lake. That “light bulb” moment occurred this past summer and in the months since - what started as a pebble rolling down hill - has turned into a boulder of momentum. Using the on-line social networking site Nextdoor.com, Kaiser began connecting with friends, neighbors and others in the local community to help organize service projects around basic things like yard work and simple home repairs. In a rather fitting way, the group established themselves as the Forest Lake Area Good Samaritans. And there seems to be no end to the number of people in need, not to mention the number of people who want to help.
Initially, only a handful of people showed up at the first meeting this past August. Eventually, 50 people expressed interest. Today, only a few months after launching the campaign, more than 150 people in the Forest Lake area are now part of a larger effort to lend a hand to a neighbor in need. In fact, the group has grown to the point that it is considering a move to organize as a 501(C)(3) Non-for-Profit organization, complete with its own website, insurance, policies and volunteer procedures. And in another twist of fate, word of these Good Samaritans is spreading beyond Forest Lake; in fact similar inquires have come from nearby communities. Thanks to Mike Kaiser for his great work in organizing others to answer the timeless question:"Who is my neighbor...well who are you?” Thanks to Nick Bednarczyk for arranging the program.
Now that’s a good story just in time for Thanksgiving.
The special subcommittee formed to evaluate the club's grant funding policies, met last week to discuss the topic. The committee includes Kelli Gustafson, Letty Van Ert, Gretchen Wesche-Sherman, Bob Thistle, Dave McCauley, Russ Weaver, Nick Bednarczyk, Bob Hylland and Grant Fernelius. The group is tasked with looking at current practices and developing a more formalized set of guidelines for the next round of funding in 2018. The committee will meet again on Monday in a joint session with the Club Board. It is hoped that a plan can be developed in the next month or so for formal consideration in December.
