Do Good: Motorcycle Missions

The tragedies of life don’t only impact on their immediate victims. The rescuers are all too often shaken to the core as well by the terrible things they routinely witness. But who can help the helpers? Motorcycle Missions can.

Motorcycle Missions is a nonprofit organization that aims to aid veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through motorcycle therapy. They organize motorcycle building and riding classes to help the ailing heroes find the spark for life again through riding—or making machines for others to ride.

The idea of Motorcycle Missions was born in 2011, when its founder Krystal Hess left an abusive marriage. She moved from Canada to the U.S. and took up motorcycling as a way to start anew. After her new boyfriend—a motorcycle mechanic—attempted suicide, Hess was left to pick up the pieces of both her life and an unbuilt bike. Putting the machine together also helped her reconstruct herself, and she wants to give others the chance of finding the joys of motorcycles when the times are dark.

The Motorcycle Missions team has grown over the years to include many other people, including military veterans and first responders. Together, they want to help their suffering comrades rediscover hope via the wonderful medium that is riding.

If you want to help Motorcycle Missions achieve their goals, the organization is always happy to involve new volunteers in its activities. You don’t even need to be a rider or a mechanic—help from accountants, event organizers, and other professionals is just as welcome. You can also make a donation. Motorcycle Missions puts 100% of all financial contributions toward aiding veterans and first responders.