“Addiction never takes time off.”  Jenell knew of our limited experience with drug and alcohol additions, so she stumbled to find the right words to help us understand.  Still, she could not have said it better.

Jenell was at one time the smartest kid in school.  Straight A’s’ were not uncommon.  Her superior high school ranking led to a full scholarship in nursing at the University of Cincinnati, where she continued to thrive. But when the damn broke everything in Jenell’s life flooded away.

Home from college for the summer and in constant pain, Jenell’s doctor recommended an MRI at a local hospital.  They found a spinal tumor. Pain meds led to more dangerous and powerful pills followed by illegal drugs.  Bars, clubs, drinking and late nights became a way of life.  Jenell’s boyfriend dealt drugs for a living.  She got pregnant twice, lost her job, lost her apartment, lost her friends, lost her family and dropped out of college.   

By the time Jenell found help with rehab, she had been in and out of jail many times, in and out of bad relationships, forced by the court to put her kids up for adoption and denied all rights to contact them.  With addiction, her life was a mess.    

In November of 2023 she met the CEO of Recovery Now.  Amanda gave Jenell an opportunity to begin the long journey back to a normal life, step by step. If she would agree to hospitalization, daily classes, therapy, intensive outpatient demands and rigid after-care.  The work was difficult and relentless.  But there would be no quitting.  Amanda made that clear, “Addiction never takes time off…and Jenell, you can’t either.”

After a year, Jenell found Pedal Power by Googling “bicycles for free.”  She wanted bikes for her peer support group at Recovery Now, used to travel to and from work.  She asked about our qualification process.  “Would we give bicycles to people like her?”  We assured Jenell that Pedal Power cared for all people including refugees, homeless populations, prisoners in transition, clients of community ministries and those suffering from addictions.  There are no exceptions!  Everyone qualifies.       

About Pedal Power Ministry:

This Ministry Team empowers folks in Louisville by providing refurbished/rebuilt bikes. Our volunteer team delivers on average 850 bikes a year to those in need in our community. Since its beginning in 2013, Pedal Power has delivered close to 8,500 bikes to individuals in need of reliable transportation. We have several strong partnerships with nonprofits and for-profit companies in Louisville such as Community Ministries, Homeless Ministries, Prison Resettlement Services, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, and Greater Louisville YMCA. We have a repair team that requires an understanding of bicycle components along with most repair skills and an interest to learn more about bicycle maintenance and a willingness to serve. We also have a social media team that spreads the Pedal Power message in our community with an understanding of social media sources and the ability to communicate and navigate within and through these sources. Please contact Pedal Power to get involved by serving or donating.