Bob “The Bike Man” Charland (left) stands with the bicycle donated to Navy veteran Fred Pinero to allow him to get back and forth to work.
Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
SOUTHWICK — While combating food insecurity in Southwick, Granville and Tolland, the staff of Our Community Food Pantry knows a thing or two about helping someone who needs a hand up, like a Navy veteran who recently moved to town.
“They’re always helping me with something. I can’t thank them enough,” said Fred Pinero who was at the pantry’s facility on Thursday to pick up a bicycle donated by Bob “The Bike Man” Charland so he could get to his job in Agawam.
“I mean, I don’t have to even ask for their help,” Pinero said who works at Holiday Quail Run Estates.
Pantry Director Sally Munson said Pinero, who lives just around the corner from the pantry, located at 222 College Hwy., stopped in a few months ago needing some help.
From there, the connection between the pantry and Pinero grew with several of the pantry’s volunteers donating furniture and other items he needed for his new living arrangements.
He was settling in when he had to face another daunting challenge — the car he was using to get to and from his job broke down.
“It was the transmission,” he said.
He first turned to his supervisor at the retirement community for help and she began picking him up in Southwick in the morning, but she couldn’t drive him home at the end of his shift.
He needed transportation, and fast, to cover the 12 miles from his residence to his job.
Munson reached out to Charland who has provided items for the pantry in the past and asked if he could help.
He said yes and Thursday delivered the 10-speed bike, that had been tuned and fitted with new tires.
When Charland is not at his day job, serving as a deputy with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office TRIAD Division, he runs the nonprofit Pedal Thru Youth and known throughout Springfield for donating bikes to those in need and providing for the city’s homeless population.
When asked how many bicycles he’s donated, Charland said he had no idea.
Since starting the nonprofit in 2016, he has donated thousands of bicycles to those in need in keeping with the organization’s mission — “Rebuilding Bikes to Rebuild Our Youth.”
And Pinero is still in need.
“We’re looking for a company or someone to get Fred some wheels to drive,” Munson said.
While Pinero and Charland were getting to know each other after the donation, the pantry’s Assistant Director Meg Raggio came outside and hugged Pinero.
“We’re so happy for you,” she said.
