Cycling is also a passion that Cris loves to share. He volunteers his time and talents with Bikewalla, a Greensboro organization that fixes up old bicycles to give away or sell at a low cost to children and adults in the community who need them. Cris helps transport and repair bikes at the organization’s recently opened Community Bike Shop at Barber Park in Greensboro.
Cris also helps with biking events throughout the city, such as Wheels on the Greenway and different community centers putting on “bike rodeos.” The events give kids access to bicycles, helmets, safe riding instructions, and bike repairs. The Community Bike Shop also works with different nonprofits to provide bicycles to people who need them for low-cost transportation.
The couple currently lives near downtown Greensboro where Cris keeps a bike repair workshop in the backyard. They moved to the area to retire and be closer to Margery’s son, John Cocking, who went to school at Guilford College. The philosophy of Friends Homes with its Quaker influence appealed to Cris and Margery. So when the expansion opportunity came about, they decided to go for it.
Once they get settled in on campus, Cris looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for cycling with fellow residents. “I’m hoping to carve out a little corner of one of the woodworking shops for a bike fixit area,” says Cris, who wants to continue to repair bicycles and ride as long as possible. Of course, that’s partly why they chose to come to Friends Homes. “We liked what the community had to offer for the right cost for us,” he explains. “To go in as independent and have our levels of care covered throughout our lives.”
But for Cris, he’s really looking forward to the new wellness center, including the pool, to help him stay fit enough to keep cycling. “Like I said,” he adds, “it keeps me out of the doctor’s office.”