Cassie Schumacher

 

CEO and Co-Founder of
Wheels 4 Change

 

by Michael L. Broome, crew 5

 

                                                                                 

Cassie Schumacher is passionate about caring for our nation’s veterans.  She experienced veterans facing issues because when she was with her father at the Veterans of Foreign wars (VFW) she saw them struggling and wanted to find a way to help. Cassie Schumacher is the co-founder of Wheels 4 Change. This organization was created to raise awareness of the issues that veterans face when they return home from their military service.

 

When Cassie was a little girl she watched her dad suffer because of what he experienced in the military. Because of what Cassie saw she didn’t want to see other families and veterans suffer too. When coming home from the military some veterans face issues like drug use, depression, sadness, homelessness and unemployment. Some veterans get so overwhelmed by these things that they end up taking their own lives. Cassie saw the pain her own father suffered after his time in the military. As she grew older she realized that she wanted to do something to help others in similar situations. She founded Wheels 4 Change in 2010 as a way to help veterans and their families deal with some of the issues she had seen her father struggle with. Today she devotes much of her time and energy to trying to serve veterans and their families. Her work is a picture of how even negative experiences can be used for good.

 

Cassie’s organization Wheels 4 Change was made to help veterans who have just come back from the military. Her organization raised $16,000 in 2012, and did the same thing in 2013. Cassie also rode her bike across the country to raise awareness about the problems veterans face after war. Wheels 4 Change has been able to give veterans hope and let them know that people care about them. Through these efforts Cassie has met the needs of veterans and their families.

 

Wheels 4 Change is a non-profit organization meaning it was formed to fulfill a mission to improve the common good of a society rather than to acquire and distribute profits. “When you start a non-profit organization you are at the mercy of other people giving their time,” Cassie explained. People are usually very supportive and excited at first, but often drop off when they get bored.  She said that while this happens sometimes, she continues to hope that new volunteers will step up.

 

The organization Wheels 4 Change is important to Cassie but is only a part-time job. She is also a licensed counselor and she works with people of all ages and backgrounds. Cassie says, “I am very busy, but if you enjoy what you do, being busy is easy.” She believes that her counseling job also helps her be better at running Wheels 4 Change.  She explained saying, “My counseling job allows me to have different mindsets and insights giving me a different agenda when working with the veterans.” This helps Cassie because some veterans might have the same problems as some of the people she counsels and she can take the same approach when trying to help them solve their problems.

 

Cassie also really loves riding bicycles because bicycles are not only a form of fitness but also transportation.  She sees bicycles as a good tool to use in her work with veterans.  If she can get a veteran on a bicycle it is the starting point of outreach. Cassie enjoys riding bicycles because it is a stress reliever and it keeps her well. She encourages people to ride bicycles because it’s something that she believes will help relieve stress and promote overall health. In this way she uses her own interests and talents to help others.

 

Cassie has lots of dreams for Wheels 4 Change. Her biggest dream would be to impact veterans in all communities across America. Cassie really enjoys helping others with their problems and even though this organization is a part-time job, she really loves it. Cassie said, “When you have the passion in your heart and follow it, that’s what it takes to change the world.” Her passion for veterans motivates her to change the world through her organization Wheels 4 Change.