Youth continue collecting bikes for people in need

By Jessica Brodie

United Methodist youth across the state are continuing local efforts to collect new and gently used bikes for people in need.

Called the Annual Conference Bike Initiative, the collection is a youth mission opportunity in conjunction with this year’s Annual Conference, set for Greenville June 4-7. Youth in each district are collecting 100 bikes and $1,000, for a total of 1,200 bikes and $12,000. One thousand of the bikes will be sent to people in need across the globe through the nonprofit group Bikes for the World; the remainder will be given to those in need locally through the South Main Mercy Center in Anderson and the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville.

Upcoming district collections are as follows:

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• Rock Hill: April 1, St. John’s UMC, Rock Hill, and April 8, Philadelphia UMC, Fort Mill
  
• Charleston: May 6, Hibben UMC, Mount Pleasant
  
• Columbia: May 21, Mill Creek UMC, Columbia
  

To learn more about a collection in your district, contact the district youth worker point person for more information: Anderson: Patrick Griffey (Trinity UMC, Anderson); Charleston: Cathy Musselwhite (Mount Hibben UMC); Columbia: Elizabeth Murray (Lexington UMC); Florence: Nate McMurphy (Central UMC, Florence); Greenville: John Fahrney (Buncombe St. UMC); Greenwood: Michael Keltz (Grace UMC, North Augusta); Hartsville: Sarah Horace (St. Mark UMC, Oswego); Marion: Jennifer Hupko (First UMC, Myrtle Beach); Orangeburg: Jimi Whitesell (St. John UMC, Aiken); Rock Hill: Val Kenney (St. John’s UMC, Rock Hill); Spartanburg: Skipper Brock (St. James UMC, Spartanburg); and Walterboro: Cheri Yates (Ruffin Circuit).