Roberts is a deacon and chaplaincy program manager at Father Joe’s Villages and lives in San Diego.
It gives me great joy to work with the employees and volunteers to provide accompaniment to our neighbors at Father Joe’s Villages. I began my journey with Father Joe in 1994 as a life skills coach at the Toussaint Teen Center, then was a case manager in a transitional shelter, and later a counseling intern in Behavioral Health Services.
In 2020, after I became an ordained minister of the Catholic Church, I returned as the manager of chaplaincy and health and wellness programs. Volunteers in these departments provide programs such as art workshops, music therapy, yoga, creative writing, meditations and support groups.
Our cycling program is one that I’m incredibly passionate about. It is a healthy activity that can be part of the pathway to wholeness. Those who are living in any of our residential programs at Father Joe’s Villages, or experiencing homelessness, are invited to come and ride with us on Thursday mornings. We ride every week, unless it is actively raining at departure time.
Participants do not need to have a bicycle or sign up in advance — they just need to show up ready to ride. Father Joe’s provides bicycles and all the necessary equipment.
We normally ride 15 to 20 miles on the relatively flat and beautiful terrain of San Diego. We go to Mission Valley, Fiesta Island, Harbor Island or Shelter Island, and sometimes we start early and take the free commuter ferry to Coronado, ride around the community and take the ferry back, or ride around the bay back to downtown. We have also ridden to the USS Midway Museum and toured the ship.
We always have lunch together, either on the road or back at Father Joe’s Villages in our dining room. Along the way, we teach the ABCs of maintaining a bicycle and good cycling safety habits.
When participants have completed 100 miles with us, they are awarded their own, new or gently used bicycle, a helmet, a saddle bag with a repair kit, a lock and lights. If they continue to ride with us for another 100 miles, they can receive a one-month transit pass. With a bicycle and a transit pass, you can see a lot of San Diego or commute to a job nearly anywhere in the county.
The program began in 2015 with a dedicated volunteer, Carlos Valenzuela, who remains with us today, patiently sweeping or “bringing up the rear” and encouraging slower riders. Doug Hoffman is our ever-present maintenance man on the road. We have several others who ride with us every week to encourage and assist riders with their cycling experience, safe riding and maintenance practices. They make sure that each rider is a part of the group, or is accompanied by a volunteer if separated from the group, or even escort them back to the start if they are having difficulty.
One generous donor has provided funding which has sustained the program; providing new bicycles, helmets, lights and locks, repair parts, and nutrition and hydration for riders. Every couple of months our volunteers provide a free maintenance workshop in partnership with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, the Office of Traffic Safety and the 4 Wheel Bike Shop. Those experiencing homelessness can bring their bikes and we repair everything we are able to — flat tires, wheels, brakes, shifters, pedals, seats and chains, etc.
In the future, we are looking to expand the program by providing rides on different days of the week so our residents would have more opportunities to ride. We would also like to provide a tricycle program for those who cannot ride bicycles but would receive a great benefit by building fitness and utilizing a tricycle to make trips to the store or park.
There are many benefits to cycling; improved physical fitness, mental health and self-confidence, and all those that come with the discipline required to establish any healthy habit. For some, riding rekindles a childhood joy and others are obtaining a whole new competency. The bicycle is a vehicle for transportation and enjoyment, but I like to think that we are primarily building community.
Biking restores a sense of belonging — that they are part of our family and we are just sharing something we enjoy. Isn’t that what we should do? Share with those we love, the things we enjoy? If you are reading this and you are passionate about something that is healthy, and you want to share it with your neighbors by volunteering your time, then I invite you to come join us!
