For the past six years, Good Karma Bikes has been great news for San Jose's needy and homeless. The non profit has provided thousands of bicycles, and taught the skills to maintain them, to people for whom reliable transportation can be the key to employment and education.
"To see the happiness the people get and to help them transform, it's a privilege to do this," Jim Gardner, Good Karma's CEO, said.
Good Karma, which Gardner began operating out of the trunk of his car, for the last two years has had a home in an old warehouse on Sunol Boulevard, just west of San Jose's downtown.
But with that location slated for development, Good Karma must move to a new home, a few blocks away. Problem is, thanks to all their success over the years Good Karma has more bikes than ever, but not enough money in their moving budget to pay someone else to move them.
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So the non profit that has helped so many put out it's own call for help.
And boy did they get it.
This past Saturday dozens of volunteers showed up to walk each and every of Good Karma's 200-plus bicycles to their new home. It was a slow-speed procession to help preserve a much-loved mission.
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Ty Thompson helped out walked two bikes at a time. "People just want to be part of something positive, something bigger than themselves," Thompson said.
Another bike-walker, Vince Dickenson, said Good Karma had helped him in the past, and he wanted to return the good deed. "You never know," Dickenson said, "I might need their help again sometime."
With all the help, Good Karma had all its bikes moved into its new facility in just a couple of hours, leaving Gardner with an old, empty building, and a full heart.
"I've said it all along, there are so many wonderful people in our community. So many wonderful people."
