Bicycle

​The woman, I’ll call her Joan, posted a message on Nextdoor; she needed a way to get to work.
She had no car and no money to buy one. Busses didn’t go close enough. Could anyone help?

It was May. I had an extra bike in good condition but it needed a tuneup. I posted a response. If
Joan wanted my bike, she could have it.

Joan posted back, thanking me but she had no way to come get it.

A woman, I’ll call her Barbara, posted to say she’d pick up my bike but if it needed work, she’d
have to take it to a bike shop.

A man, I’ll call him Tom, posted an offer to buy anything needed to repair the bike but he didn’t
have the tools to fix it.

A man, I’ll call him Bill, posted that if Tom would buy what was needed, he could fix the bike.

Soooo, Barbara picked the bike up from me and brought it to Bill.

Bill posted Tom to tell him what to buy.

Tom brought the equipment over to Bill who fixed the bike.

Barbara picked the restored bike up from Bill and delivered it to Joan.

Joan posted a photo of herself on the newly restored bike, grinning, thanking all of us for our
kindness.

A small temporary community created by one person asking for help.

How might you offer assistance to someone you don’t know? Why?