Community house lends bikes for children's summer fun - Dispatch

Wednesday, August 11, 2010  02:53 AM

BY RITA PRICE

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ERIC ALBRECHT | DISPATCH

Michelle Mills of the St. Stephen's Community House leads a bike ride for children on the Alum Creek Trail. Children used loaner bikes from the agency as well as their own. St. Stephen's has about 40 bikes available to lend to residents.

ERIC ALBRECHT | DISPATCH

Bikes in the loan program have their own license plate signifying they are from St. Stephen's Community House. The program began this summer to promote exercise.

The kids don't know about the naysayers, and the grownups who matter didn't listen.

Proof that an urban bike-loan program can work just fine pedaled along the Alum Creek Trail yesterday, all sweaty and giggly and determined.

"It's not too hot," 9-year-old Shanise Collins said. "It's fun."

St. Stephen's Community House started lending bicycles at no charge this summer as a way to promote exercise among children who live in neighborhoods where safe recreational opportunities - and money for bikes - can be in short supply, agency chief Michelle Mills said.

The Community Health Funders' Collaborative - a group that includes doctors, philanthropists and the United Way of Central Ohio - contributed $92,000 for bikes, racks and sports or play equipment at St. Stephen's and the city's six other settlement houses.

"We heard from a lot of naysayers who said we couldn't do it in an urban area - the bikes would never come back, they'd be all cracked up, that sort of thing," Mills said. "Thank goodness we had some courageous funders who believed."

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