Homeless San Diegans Are Bicycling Toward Independence
- After cycling 100 miles with the group, participants in a unique weekly ride receive a bike of their own.
By: Michaela Haas
July 11, 2025
*** begin quote ***
On a sunlit Thursday morning in downtown San Diego, the sidewalk in front of Father Joe’s Villages buzzes with an excited energy. Nearly two-dozen people, dressed in everything from street clothes to aerodynamic Lycra, gather around a lineup of bicycles and tricycles. Among them are experienced riders from local clubs like Major Taylor and first-timers tentatively gripping handlebars. Towering above most, clad in a neon yellow cycling jersey, is Deacon John Roberts — chaplain, cyclist and the force behind a growing movement that is, quite literally, helping people out of homelessness one mile at a time.
*** and ***
Back at the Villages, Roberts oversees not only the cycling program but the center’s broader spiritual and wellness efforts. With about 50 volunteers, he coordinates meditation groups, music and arts therapy, and spiritual counseling. The bicycle rides are an extension of this work — a chance to connect the physical act of movement with emotional healing and community care.
“We’re not just talking about getting people from point A to point B,” he says. “We’re talking about recovery, dignity, transformation.”
He also offers free maintenance days and partners with several local organizations for support, including the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, Rick Beasley’s 4Wheel BikeShop, the nonprofit Padyak racing team and ReBike San Diego, a nonprofit that collects, repairs and donates bikes.
*** end quote ***
I love non-Gooferment solutions. It never ceases to amaze me what motivated individuals can come up with to solve problems.
If Gooferment politicians and bureaucrats want to REALLY solve problems, they should seek to replicate solutions that private citizens implemented.
— 30 —
— 30 —
Posted by reinkefj 
Reinke Faces Life 