Getting around campus is never an issue for Midland University students. Getting around town, however, can lead to a different set of challenges for some students. Henri Stoeckermann, a junior from Herrenberg, Germany, is working to change that.
Through the efforts of Stoeckermann, along with the Global Warriors Organization and the office of Campus Ministry and Spiritual Wellness, transportation will get a little easier for international students through a bicycle donation drive. So far, the group has collected over 20 bikes donated by the Fremont community.
“There are many students out there who don’t have a way to get to practice or get groceries,” Stoeckermann said. “Over the summer, I thought about finding a way for international students to get bikes from people who were willing to help.”
He connected with Beth Dorsey, student success advisor and staff advisor for Global Warriors, along with Lisa Kramme, Director for Campus Ministry and Spiritual Wellness. Through their efforts to get the word out to local congregations, donated bikes began to roll in.
“So many of our local congregations have giving spirits, and they want to help our students,” Kramme said. “We reached out to a handful of churches, and it didn’t take long before we were getting calls and emails that they had bikes to share.”
Dorsey said 14 bikes have already been distributed to students, but some of the others still need some tuning up before they are ready to hit the streets. Thanks to additional assistance from Bad Dog Bikes in Fremont, many bikes have been given new inner tubes. Dorsey said they recently received a Thrivent Action Team grant, which will be used to purchase bike locks and helmets. “Our goal is to make sure each student has a helmet and a lock when we give them a bike,” Dorsey said.
Stoeckermann added that the Bike Kitchen in Lincoln, a community-building organization that provides bicycles and related resources to people, has reached out with bikes they are willing to donate.
More than 100 international students are attending Midland this fall, and while not all of them need bikes, Dorsey hopes they can collect around 50 bikes to get out to students. “We have plenty of room to store them, and I would love to see bikes all across campus,” she said.
They are well on their way to reaching that goal, especially with the generosity shown by the Fremont community. “There are many people that want to help; they just need to be asked and know that there is a need,” Kramme said. “There was a couple, in their 80s, that had bikes to donate. They said they were unable to ride them anymore, but they wanted to see somebody else get some good use out of them. It really warms my heart to know there are so many people who have the best interests of our students in mind.”
Seeing students like Stoeckermann take the initiative to help other students across campus is part of the Warrior spirit. “I am continually blown away by our students,” Dorsey said. “It’s been really neat to see them take the steps to make something happen and put in all this work. I told someone I feel like a proud mom! I’m not the one doing the work, but it’s been so great to watch.”
Dorsey said anyone wishing to donate bikes, helmets, or locks or wants to make a monetary donation can contact her at dorsey@midlandu.edu.
