Project aims to give bikes to low-income, at-risk children

A Pocatello woman is looking to make sure all the kids in the area have the chance to ride on two wheels.

Inspired by the Boise Bicycle Project, Merinda Elkington started the Pocatello Community Bicycle Project. The aim of the project is to give kids, especially those who classify as low-income or at-risk, a bike and a helmet.

For Elkington, a bike is more than just a handlebar and two wheels.

“There’s a lot of kids in the community that need that emotional support that comes from the bike,” she said.

The project relies on donated bikes and bike parts. A number of bikes donated from local bike shops. The project fixes up bikes as needed, so they don’t need to be brand new.

Right now, Elkington has been working with outreach programs and other different community groups to give kids in their programs bikes.

CASA, aka Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a group that will receive some bikes. The group works with foster children as they go through the court system.

Amy Welsh, a supervisor with CASA, understands how much a bike means to a child.

“Some of them have never had bikes before,” Welsh said. “To have a bike, to have wheels where they can take themselves to the park or whatever they want to do, it’s a huge amount of freedom for those little kids.”

The project is currently gearing up for a Christmas bike giveaway. Elkington is currently aiming at collecting 100 to 150 bikes.

She said the group is currently looking for volunteers, tubs to hold bike parts in, and more bikes.

Anyone can go to the project’s Facebook page here for updates, donate to it directly here, or email Elkington at PocatelloBicycleProject@gmail.com. CASA also seeks volunteers, too, you can go here to find out how.

People can also bring bikes to the project’s current storage location at 3100 N. Main St.