The District Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 5, Winter 2017-18 | Page 10
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A few months ago I had the great fortune of
meeting Jon Dengler. Jon is no ordinary non-profit
leader. He doesn’t sit in an office or hold suited
up corporate meetings. His nonprofit doesn’t
host galas or arms length fundraising campaigns.
Jon’s personal dedication to his cause has led to
a grassroots following and most recently, a start
up with the capacity to change the landscape of
Tampa forever.
Jon and a team of friends have spent more than a
decade committing themselves to stand with and
do their best to love the poor throughout Tampa.
Not just on Sundays, holidays or special company
retreats but everyday in every way possible.
With the vision of “Needs met, bridges built, a
city made whole”, they created opportunities
to build relationships through meals, groceries,
hygiene products, or clothing. They worked to
meet material needs in a way that gave them the
opportunity to be in relationship, which meets a
deeper need in all of us.
Over time, what they found as they walked and
worked with the homeless and working poor in
Tampa, a city which has the second highest per
capita populations of homeless neighbors in the
country, is that behind the simple and obvious
needs that we all see - food, clothes, shelter - are
underlying issues such as a lack of ownership and
access.
And one way to address this deeper issue of access
is through reliable personal transportation, which
opens up the city, it’s economy, and it’s many
opportunities.
Over the last three years, Jon and his team have
run a bike co-op program, The Well’s Recycle Bin,
offering those needing transportation a place
and resources to build their own bike. Started
almost by accident, with one Well volunteer
who rode bikes helping a neighbor in need with
theirs. Little by little this flame was fanned and the
initiative snow-balled. In time the shop was almost
completely run by neighbors who had originally
come in to get a bike for themselves and through
their continued participation, took ownership of the
work, and the shop itself. A beautiful community
arose out of our shared work. A family of men and
women you might see riding around Tampa in a
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group ride, affectionately referring to themselves
as ‘The Well’s Angels.’ To date they have helped
provide well over 1,000 bikes.
Along the way they realized there was a business
model to help support this effort that was a step
above the typical philanthropic model and WellBuilt
Bike Shop was born. A retail location, anchoring
the reemergence of University Mall, WellBuilt bikes
is a non-profit bike shop that sells refurbished bikes
at affordable prices and invests the sales revenue
into an Earn-A-Bike program so those who lack
funds can access and own a bike of their own.
WellBuilt Bikes is a great
business opportunity that
answers a very real need in
our city.
Jon and his team are the right people, using the
right tool, and they need our help to grow their
capacity. Need a casual bike for afternoon rides
on Bayshore? Consider one of their refurbished
options. Looking for a place to donate a bike you
no longer use? Let the WellBuilt team make it new
again.
A need for sustainable, affordable transportation is
something that transcends economic boundaries
and provides common ground for all in our city.
Bicycling is something that so many people depend
on and enjoy. WellBuilt bikes believes the uplifting
community rides, events, and the essential services
associated with bike ownership should not be
exclusive to those with money and social standing.
By accessing bikes that would've been garbage, as
well as donations from supportive neighbors, they
ensure all people who need a bike are able to own
one! By providing free workshops to the public,
they ensure those bikes are ridden responsibly.
WellBuilt believes bicycles are an integral part of
making Tampa a successful and healthy city, and
that by working together to provide support to all
cyclists, we can really make our city shine!
As we kick off 2018, we can and should remember
those in need, around the world and in our own
community. People like Jon, who go beyond
what is worthy to what is extraordinary, inspire
us to do more, to think creatively and to create
entrepreneurial business models that meet needs.
This is what true innovation looks like.