Wheely in need of bikes in Bradenton

Wheely in need of bikes

Three bikes down, and 22 to go before Summerfield's Cheryl Hedger reaches her goal of 25 bikes to donate to Turning Points, a nonprofit helping the area's homeless.

"This is the only transportation (clients) have for them to be able to come back and forth for their services at Turning Points, including medical, dental, housing assistance and gently used clothing," said Hedger, who is a volunteer coordinator with the nonprofit.

During Hedger's drive last year, she collected 15 bikes, which went toward the 595 bikes Turning Points collected and distributed to clients.

Banking on donations

After a six-month hiatus, OneBlood's blood mobile parked in the parking lot of Our Lady of the Angels church July 24 to receive much-needed blood donations. The drive, organized by the church's Knights of Columbus group, was the first since January due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-six people signed up to participate.

"We usually have one every three months," blood drive organizer Carmine Maida said. " Right now, there's a critical shortage."