Mercy Pedalers is an all-volunteer, all-donation effort to bring a bit of mercy to people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. (Click here to go to the official Mercy Pedalers website.) We are called “pedalers,” as most of us bicycle around our neighborhoods, but many of us also “pedal” by car. We offer a cup of coffee, bottled water, food (soup and grilled cheese in the winter months), shoes and clothing whenever we can, and hygiene items like soap, toothbrush & toothpaste, wet wipes, and everything else we can possibly carry. Our goal isn’t to save the world, but to bring dignity, relief, and kindness to our friends in Sacramento experiencing homelessness. If you have spent any time in Sacramento, you know there are many.

From left: Ashley H., Sister Libby Fernandez, and Kathy at the 1-year anniversary auction event at Uptown Studios, September 2018.

Mercy Pedalers was founded in September of 2017 by Sister Libby Fernandez, a Sister of Mercy and former Executive Director of Sacramento Loaves & Fishes (2006 to 2017). In the first year, what began as a solo operation has steadily grown to over 80 volunteers, 12 of whom are associated with us at UUSS. Since beginning our participation in Mercy Pedalers, we have served over 1,500 women, men, and trans friends in the Arden-Arcade, College/Glen, College Green, and McKinley Park/Sutter’s Fort areas. We love what we do, and we’re so grateful for the generosity of the UUSS congregation who have supported our efforts by donating supplies to us on an ongoing basis since January 2018. We have been deeply humbled by the love of this community.

Modes of transport, clockwise from top left: Jerry rides a recumbent bicycle and tows a trailer; Ashley rides a bicycle and tows a trailer; Kathy serves from the back of her car; Dave rides the blue UUSS tricycle, complete with cabinet. November 2018.

Soon we will begin posting more information about the number of people we serve each week, so the UUSS community has a better idea where donations are going. In the meantime, we’re happy to report the following:

• We were recently granted permission to have a table in the Welcome Hall or outside on the patio most Sundays, in order to increase visibility and generate interest;
• In the fall, we were given a tricycle as well as space inside the storage shed on campus to store it;
• We have secured ongoing donations from Nothing Bundt Cakes and Grateful Bread, as well as from another local restaurant (just ask us and we’ll tell you which one); we pick up the bread on a rotation and distribute to our team to make sandwiches for our homeless friends; and
• We were also elected one of the 2019 Community Partners for the month of June.

Top: Sister Libby Fernandez and Dave Davis ready the blue tricycle for transport to UUSS, October 2018. Rev. Lucy, Elaine, and Dave celebrate its arrival.

 This is our first official post — a big thank you to Dirk Tuell for helping us get on the UUSS website!

Nancy Pape and John, McKinley Park, January 25, 2019.

Nancy Pape and Jim in McKinley Park during the wildfires, November 16, 2018.