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Norfolk shop owner restores bikes, donates to homeless for Christmas

Norfolk shop owner restores bikes, donates to homeless for Christmas
Posted at 5:00 PM, Nov 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-26 18:12:45-05

NORFOLK, Va. - One man's trash is Andrew Hund's treasure.

Hund is the owner of Hund's ReCycle Factory in Norfolk, and he's taking action to help the homeless by restoring old bicycles so the less fortunate can get around.

Hund told News 3's Aleah Hordges that he wants to use his gift to change lives.

Related: Young Virginia Beach girl collects more than 1,000 socks for the homeless

"We have a family business of scrap metal recycling and bikes," said Hunds. "At one point in time it was brought in as trash, junk, scrap metal. I would buy them from my dad and keep them going and put parts, time, labor and love into it."

He will be donating at least one bike a week until Christmas to give people hope and the wheels to get around town.

Hund said he does this "to create employment because they don't have a driver's license and need to get to one job to the next."

He's helped dozens of people in the Norfolk area.

Hund even mentioned he previously fixed up a bicycle for George Bell who is 7'8," the tallest American male.

"I gave it to him because at a time George couldn't even afford to fix his car so I said to myself, 'I need to get George a bike.' He hasn't had a bike since he was 13," Hund said.

Hund is starting a non-profit organization called "We Love People and Bikes" and hopes to donate even more bikes after the holidays.

The bike enthusiast said it's a dream turned into a reality.

"Every bike tells a story, and that bike gets to have a new chapter in life - kind of like the new owner," said Hund.

He said the official start date of the organization is January 1, 2019.