CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- Like the rest of the state of Colorado, the city of Castle Rock is growing fast. As more people move in, hospitals must make room to treat them. In one case that means having to take back space it was lending to a local nonprofit.
"Over 1,100 students are in our program,” said Jon Buck, Project Recycle Executive Director. “We started out in a garage and then a storage place and then another warehouse and then we go this space about five years ago.”
Project Recycle's Dream Bike schools program gives donated bikes to kids in lower income schools. The organization’s generosity may have to scale back if they can’t find another space to operate in.
“We are not at a place where we can financially afford 10,000 square feet,” said Buck.
Castle Rock Adventist Hospital has been letting the nonprofit use the fourth floor of their building. For the past five years it's been filled with bikes and volunteer mechanics fixing and testing them out.
Soon the portion of the fourth floor currently housing the bikes and shop will be filled with patients. The hospital needs the space as the community continues to grow.
"We will have to maybe find some other places to donate them and honestly most are going to be scrapped which is unfortunate,” said Buck.
Project Recycle is hoping another business will step up to donate space for both their bike storage and the shop too so they can continue giving back to the kids.
"That's why we do it, the smile they have and the hope it brings,” said Buck. "I have loved the growth we have had and I don't want to lose that 1,100 students a year. That is huge."
If you are interested in providing a space or connecting with Project Recycle, email jon@projectrecycle.org.