Dow Donates Dozens of Bikes to Delta 2000
Susie Dove of Delta 2000 with Dow's donated bikes
As the saying goes “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” A recent decision to ban bicycles on the Dow Pittsburg site has resulted in a boon for a local nonprofit.
For decades, old bikes have been used to traverse Dow’s 500-acre property, allowing employees to easily move from plant to plant without using their cars. Maintained annually to ensure safety and functionality, a recent injury at Dow Pittsburg when a worker fell off his bike and broke his arm while commuting prompted leadership to take a close look at bicycle usage at the manufacturing site. It was decided to eliminate all bicycles and, instead, purchase new tricycles that provide better stability.
What to do with more than 100 old bikes? Dow put out an announcement early this year to see if any local non-profits were interested. The response was overwhelming.
Susie Dove, Executive Director for Delta 2000 responded quickly with the idea for a new program – providing second-hand bikes to low-income and disadvantaged youth who need a way to get to school or work. Focused on creating a community of volunteers, youth will learn how to maintain and build their own bicycles. “Working with their hands on something of their very own will create pride in their work and what they have learned in owning a bike,” said Dove.
“Our mission with this program,” Dove explained, “ is to promote bicycles as a fun, safe and accessible form of transportation, to foster a healthy community and to provide a welcome space for youth to learn about building, maintaining and riding bicycles.” Her hope is that the youth will also choose to spend their community service time – something all high school students are required to have before graduating – teaching other students about bike repair or fixing up bikes for other youth to use.
Though Dow is happily donating the bikes, there are other needs associated with this program. According to Dove, the program will need all sorts of tools and equipment including bike stands. “We’ve got lots of interest, just not lots of capital. Anyone who wants to be involved can donate money, tools – we’ll even take old tool kits gathering cobwebs in your basement or garage.”
Dow chose Delta 2000 from dozens of interested organizations for several reasons. They had a plan to use all the bikes, even the ones that might not be in the best of shape – or look great. “This is a win-win situation by Dow’s standards,” said Dow spokesperson Patty Deutsche. “We love the idea that the bikes are going to kids who need to go to school or work. But we especially like the idea that the kids will be learning at the same time – not just maintenance but responsibility and maybe even the skill of teaching others. The fact that this is all right in our backyard was a bonus.”
Bikes were delivered to Delta 2000 on Thursday, May 24, 2012.
About Dow’s Pittsburg Operations
The Dow Chemical Company purchased the Pittsburg facility in 1939 from the Great Western Electrochemical Company. It is one of more than 150 manufacturing sites located in 37 countries around the world and supports two of Dow’s eight global businesses – Dow AgroSciences and Performance Chemicals. The Pittsburg facility produces a variety of products used in personal care products as well as a variety of crop protection products and intermediates. www.dowpittsburg.com
About Delta 2000
For more than 26 years, Delta 2000 Rivertown Resource Center has provided service to residents of Contra Costa County. With 28 non-profits and social service organizations under one roof, help can be found for everything from prenatal care to senior services. For more information about Delta 2000 contact Susie Dove at 925-779-1404 or Susie.dove@yahoo.com.
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Suzie Dove of Delta 2000 with Dow’s donated bikes
