AT FIRST, MANUEL VERA just wanted to do something productive for his neighbors during the COVID-19 lockdown. Maybe he could help them get outside by tuning up bikes in need of a little TLC, he thought. So he posted to an online group in his Silver Spring, Maryland, neighborhood, offering to fix people's bikes for free. All he asked was to be reimbursed for any new parts.
"Then I started thinking about all the bikes that people have at home that never get used," says Vera, 74, who is retired from the local power company.
Soon he was asking neighbors to donate any bikes collecting dust in their garages and basements after kids had outgrown them or adults had upgraded to new models. Then, in his tidy little backyard shed, he'd get to work.
Vera's workspace is nearly as tricked out as his bikes. The green gardening shed, its inner walls lined with tools, holds a workbench and repair stand, and even has AC and Wi-Fi. You'll know Vera is at work when classic rock or folk music floats out its open doors.
Denne historien er fra October 2024-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.
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Denne historien er fra October 2024-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Election Day Memories - Stories about voting by the people, for the people
A Convincing Argument When my boyfriend and I were finally old enough to vote in our first presidential election, we spent months debating with one another about our chosen candidates. We were quite persuasive, as we discovered when we got home from the polls and learned that we'd both voted for the other's initial choice.―SHERRY FOX Appleton, WI
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