Pocatello nonprofit aims to reduce recidivism two wheels at a time

POCATELLO — Richard Roberts has been successful addiction betterment for astir a decade. After a caller relapse, he decided to propulsion himself each nan measurement into activity he began astir 7 years ago.

Through his nonprofit organization, Bicycles For Recovery, Roberts and his partners, Jaxson Hall and Greg Johnson, judge donated bikes, fix, repair aliases rebuild them, and springiness them to those successful need.

It each started, Roberts explained, erstwhile his supplier usage led to him losing his driver’s license. That was erstwhile he discovered really important it was for everyone, but particularly addicts, to person a group of wheels.

“I mislaid my license, because of my (drug) usage and stuff, and I didn’t person wheels,” he said. “I gave up, I threw successful nan towel. I recovered retired correct past that it is very important to person transportation. … This will thief pinch recidivism, it will thief nan organization to turn pinch functioning group that are capable to activity — it will get wheels nether them truthful they are much motivated to spell do something. It’s really a bully program.”

After his enactment astatine nan Center for Hope — a rehab and betterment halfway successful Pocatello — Roberts began his work, arsenic portion of nan betterment process. But he didn’t get afloat invested successful that activity until a caller relapse.

“This year, I sewage backmost into my betterment beardown and I decided that I’m gonna spell full-bore pinch it,” he said.

Hall, who collaborated pinch Roberts this year, is besides successful betterment and a longtime friend of Roberts’. He told EastIdahoNews.com that doing this activity and helping others helps him pinch his ain process.

Roberts called it a “win-win.”

In a short fewer months, Roberts has developed moving partnerships pinch Barrie’s Ski and Sports, East Fork Bikes and Fantasy Forgery. The companies donate bikes, parts and, successful immoderate cases, mechanical know-how erstwhile it comes to rebuilding and repairing bicycles.

Roberts explained it has been difficult arsenic he looks to grow nan organization’s efforts.

He is looking into getting a helping Bicycles for Recovery moving successful nan Idaho Falls area, but is still searching for personification who meets nan qualifications he requires — being sober and knowledgeable of bikes and their repair needs.

Of his ain know-how, Roberts said he grew up way racing bikes, and doing his repairs himself. As a young man, he added, he would repair bikes for his neighbors, free of charge, retired of his emotion for biking.

“I’ve ever been into bicycles, been a bicycle enthusiast,” he said.

While he doesn’t expect to walk on that aforesaid level of love, he knows really impactful a moving motorcycle tin be.

That impact, he continued, goes good beyond those successful recovery.

He precocious received accusation from nan organization that a woman’s bike, and superior intends of transportation, was stolen. Roberts said she asked if he could thief her and aft very small consideration, she agreed.

“This is benignant of drawn up for group that are successful recovery, but I tin make an objection to that norm because she’s trying to thief herself,” he said of nan woman’s situation. “So now, it’s beautiful overmuch to that constituent — if somebody’s trying to get up successful life, and do amended for themself, past we’re consenting to help.”

That willingness to thief his neighbour has helped him, and not conscionable successful nan partnerships he has already created.

Roberts said that Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad heard astir his statement and offered to help. Now, Bicycles for Recovery is moving connected a business that would spot them taking successful retired bikes from nan Pocatello Police Department for repair and donation.

He besides received a free spot astatine nan Portneuf Valley Farmers Market this week to dispersed nan connection astir his work.

Ellen Loomis, nan head of nan Portneuf Valley Farmer’s Market, told EastIdahoNews.com that it was an easy determination for her to induce Roberts.

“I believe, our organization owes it to each different to attraction for group that request a small boost,” she said.

Roberts, who has a full-time occupation and is perpetually moving toward his ain recovery, is pleased pinch his determination to propulsion himself into nan basal work. He said he decided aft his caller relapse to make “life-changing choices” and unrecorded his “best life.”

“It’s bully for my recovery, it’s bully for my soul. I emotion it.”