A blustery wind from Mattapoisett Harbor whistled in between the Mattapoisett Congregational Church and the storage building where several bicycles were placed Saturday morning, as volunteers worked feverishly to greet donors, categorize their bikes and put them in a safe holding place before launching their second life.
A 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, the Friends of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail, estimate that over 400 bikes have been collected and approximately 200 distributed since initiating this effort in 2021. On Saturday, 40 bikes were collected.
“The reason this came about was Liz (DiCarlo) had taken an inclusivity seminar, and we were trying to figure out how we can take an inclusive approach to the Bike Path – since we’re all members of the (Mattapoisett) Bike Path Committee,” explained Jane Finnerty, the Friends’ vice president. “It was kind of one of those things where it was really healthy to do something like this during the pandemic. We were a closed group, so we were comfortable with each other.”
The group came up with the idea of collecting donated bicycles to distribute to underprivileged children. Officially operating as an initiative of the Friends of The Mattapoisett Rail Trail, the effort began during the Covid pandemic as a “Bikes for Kids” mission. Upon a windfall of adult-size bike donations, the cause expanded to a “Bikes for All” mission. The group advertised, seeking volunteer assistance for the effort from area bicycle mechanics.
“Thankfully, we had two great people step up,” said Finnerty. One was Bill Emmons, who has since joined the Friends group and has regularly given his time to the cause. The other was Bill Trimble, better known for his work with the June 1 Tour de Crème bike event.
“The one struggle we’ve had since the beginning is finding storage,” said Finnerty, who was effusive in her praise of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church for use of its storage building next to the sanctuary. “We have bounced around everywhere since we started, from the Quaker Meeting House being wonderful to us.”
“We used the entire community room, we put tarps down everywhere,” recalled DiCarlo.
“But then (after Covid was under control) they opened up, which they had to do,” said Finnerty. “We’ve been in the beach house; we’ve been in here and we’ve been kind of moved all over. We’ve been really trying to find some permanent space, but we just haven’t been able to come up with anything.”
The group tries to keep a low level of inventory when anticipating housing issues. Leaving bicycles outside only makes the job of rehabilitating them more difficult.
“The Quaker Meeting House was the one that stepped up right away, without even hesitation,” said Finnerty, whose job running the Town Beach led to a connection for the use of the beach house when it was not in use. “We’ve figured it out as we’ve gone along. Some of the bikes have been moved maybe 12 times.”
It takes a good sense of humor to endure the logistical challenges that accompany charitable causes, including the weather.
“It was pouring rain last year,” recalled DiCarlo of the 2024 bike-donation event. The turnout was still great, and Finnerty mused that perhaps the rainy day canceled some families’ plans and pivoted them toward the bike collection.
“This time of year, a lot of it depends on the weather, so it might have actually helped us a little bit,” she said. “It’s been great. We have a really strong group, and it’s growing now, which is wonderful. That’s how it’s going to continue.”
There was a critical point in the group’s effort where the work had become too great for the three core members, DiCarlo, Emmons and Finnerty. With Covid in the rearview mirror, their lives had resumed some normalcy, and that squeezed the number of hours that they could devote to the cause.
Though no longer serving on the board, Jenn Wong volunteers her time at the annual bike collection, according to Finnerty, who noted that Wong stays involved in Bikes for All and supports DiCarlo’s work with the upcoming Tour de Crème biking event.
“Having people like Don Bamberger and Bill Trimble and everybody step up is really what’s going to help this group survive,” said Finnerty, noting the assistance that Ned Watts gave the group in its early days.
DiCarlo and Finnerty estimate that between 20% and 30% of donated bikes are ready to ride. Finnerty noted that one donor on Saturday had brought their bike to the shop and paid for a tune-up to make it presentable for the group.
“There have been some beautiful bikes that we collected. Like you look at them and say, ‘I want that one,’” Finnerty joked. Some road bikes have come in, and some racing bikes have gone out.
“We appreciate the support of the United Way of Greater New Bedford’s Changemaker Grant,” stated DiCarlo, noting that Bikes for All continues to be a collaborative effort between the Friends of the Mattapoisett Rail Trail, Mattapoisett Recreation and the South Coast Bikeway Alliance.
The Friends work with several charitable organizations including the Immigrants Assistance Center (IAC), the YWCA, the Community Economic Development Center, and Nativity Prep school.
The South Coast Bikeway Alliance connects the local dots of the bike path that runs from Wareham to the Rhode Island state line.
“We haven’t even started over in Wareham, and that area is just as important on that side,” said Finnerty.
Bike distribution is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. The location is to be determined.
Friends of The Mattapoisett Rail Trail
By Mick Colageo