It's incredible what the power of community can do!
Last month, we had three therapy bikes stolen from Minda’s Brighton neighbourhood, leaving our staff, the people we support and the wider community very disappointed.
Word of the theft spread all the way to one of South Australia's biggest media personalities, Andrew 'Cosi' Costello from South Aussie with Cosi who shared a post on his social media page, reaching thousands more people around SA.
His post was shared over 1300 times and got the attention of radio stations FiveAA and the ABC as well as the exteremly generous, Tom.
Tom was reminded of an old tandem bike collecting dust in his parents' shed that they would use so his Mum and visually impaired Dad could ride together.
After nearly a decade of limited use, the story inspired Tom to donate the bike to Minda so it could have a second life helping to improve the lives of the people we support.
After hearing about Tom and his parents’ generous donation on the radio, Des, a volunteer from Technology for Ageing and Disability SA Inc also reached out to Minda to donate a trike.
These incredible donations were received gratefully by our Allied Health team and a welcome replacement for the bikes we had lost.
Before either of the donated bikes could be used by the people that Minda support, they needed to undergo a service – enter, Darren from Adelaide Mobile Bicycle Service.
“I was listening to the ABC radio interview and overheard that one of the donated bikes had been sitting in the shed unused for a little while. I knew they probably needed to be serviced,” Darren said.
“Over the years, I have worked on bikes at Minda and wanted to reach out and offer to service both of the bikes for free. I wanted to make sure the bikes were in good condition.
“Through my experience with these types of bikes, I understand just how important they are to the people that ride them. They bring an immense amount of joy to people.”
While the stolen bikes are still yet to be found, this has showcased what can happen when the people across South Australia come together to help those in need.
The world needs more people like Tom, Des and Darren that continue to help out those in their communities and beyond - thank you for your generous support!