Kendall County Women’s Shelter hosts bike drive for abuse survivors

KENDALL COUNTY, Texas – As a way to bring a sense of normalcy to women and children who have survived an abusive relationship, the Kendall County Women’s Shelter is collecting new or gently used bikes for their clients.

“For our adult clients, it is a great form of exercise, or it helps them get to a new job they just got,” said Emma Collar, the communications coordinator for the shelter. “They can get around and do things like that. And then, for our children, it is a fun gift. I remember when I was a child getting my first bike and riding it around, so this would be our gift for them.”

Collar said group rides together aren’t off the table either.

“We have an amazing family coordinator who coordinates activities for kids and families, so it would be a cool activity to get them out in a group activity to connect with each other.”

Collar said, more importantly, this simple gesture is a way to make clients feel comfortable.

“Normalcy is such a big thing for us, so we just want to make our clients come to the shelter and feel at home, not have to focus on the worst thing that has happened or anything like that,” she said.

You can help this cause by donating new or gently used bikes for all ages to their administration office, located at 930 North School Street in Boerne, or to their thrift store, Fabulous Finds, located on the same property.

Also, if you would like to give back to a great cause while having a good time, you can sign up for their fourth annual Gary Rich Golf Classic, which is being hosted on Oct. 28.

“It is something that communities from all over get excited about,” Collar said. “The purpose is to have fun and to connect with different areas. We also want to raise awareness for the organization and understand the work we do.”

All money raised during the tournament will go toward the shelter’s programs, which serve families in need of resources. You can sign up as a team or individually at the shelter’s website here. Tee-off is at 9 a.m. at the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf Course.