One Bike at a Time; Rebuilding Lives
Meet our, Customer of the Week, Jason Zaideman
Operation Combat Bikesaver
A couple of weeks ago, our Sales Representative, Al Belfort sent me an email telling me about an organization and a man that I should feature in our Customer of the Week interview series. Our Sales Representatives assist hundreds of customers every week, so I knew this organization had to be extremely special to catch Al’s attention.Jason is exactly the type of customer we love to feature. His commitment to his community and deep gratitude to our servicemen and women, make him the ultimate role model and pillar of society. Here is his story:THE/STUDIO: Introduce yourself. Tell our readers a little bit about who you are!
Jason: I’m Jason Zaideman of Cedar Lake, IN. My wife and I run a small business called The Zink Factory where we put together fundraisers for locals in the community. We also founded a 501(c)3 non-profit organization called Operation Combat Bikesaver.
THE/STUDIO: What does your organization do?
Jason: Operation Combat Bikesaver helps Veterans and First Responders suffering from PTSD, TBI, or depression by offering a vocational-type of hands on therapy of working in a shop rebuilding old, tarnished motorcycles. A candidate, once approved, gets to choose a project bike. Learning new skills such as welding, fabricating, electrical, and painting, the candidate resurrects the motorcycle, while resurrecting their own mind. At the end of the custom project, the motorcycle is theirs to keep or donate to another candidate of their choosing.
THE/STUDIO: What have you learned since starting your Operation Combat Bikesaver?
Jason: Everything has been a learning process! Operation Combat Bikesaver just started up in October of 2015 and we’re still working out the kinks and finding new processes of helping candidates. The most important thing I’ve learned is that no two individuals are the same and their learning process may be totally different from another’s. Innovation is key!
THE/STUDIO: What about Operation Combat Bikesaver are you most proud of?
Jason: I’d say the changes in the candidate’s attitudes from when they started versus today. A lot of the candidates have never had experience with building a custom motorcycle from scratch. Watching them become more comfortable and excited to work on the bikes and help one another is awesome. The camaraderie with everyone involved helps all of us. We’ve grown together like a family and have a wonderful group of officers, board members, volunteers, and candidates.
THE/STUDIO: What are some of the greatest challenges you face with your organization?
Jason: Right now, our greatest challenge is the lack of work space. We’ve been working out of my home garage while looking for a more permanent place to call home for OCB.
THE/STUDIO: Where do you see Operation Combat Bikesaver in 10 years?
Jason: Our goal is to have Operation Combat Bikesaver resorts in every state. We want to better serve our Veterans and First Responders and help get rid of the “22 per day” statistic.
THE/STUDIO: What type of legacy do you want to leave?
Jason: Simply to leave the world a better place than I found it in. I want to help those brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect all of ours, risking the ultimate sacrifice every day.
THE/STUDIO: What is the story behind the custom patch that you produced with THE/STUDIO?
Jason: The patch design is our logo. Our logo is proudly worn by supporters, officers, and board members and will hopefully be soon recognizable nationwide.
THE/STUDIO: Do you have any upcoming events that our community members can attend?
Jason: Our upcoming events can be located on our website: www.combatbikesaver.org
THE/STUDIO: Is there anything our community members can do to help?
Jason: Community members can help by filling out an application online, referring candidates, volunteering their time in our shop, purchasing t-shirts, hats, or patches, donating funds and materials, and simply just spreading the word.
