Hello everyone,
The first week of May has come to an end so that means we’ve completed another volunteer orientation and volunteer meeting for the month. I want to share some info on what is coming up for volunteers and what we discussed at the meeting.
Getting ready for a Give-a-Way
The weather is getting warmer and youth in the city will be out of school for the summer next month. We are getting ready by building up bikes for young kids (20″ wheels and smaller) to give away in the third weekend of June.
So basically, every Wednesday and Thursday through May, those volunteers that have been through an orientation and have the bike tool knowledge will be building up kids bikes.
New volunteers and others without the mechanical know how are still helpful! There are plenty of projects to work on this month.
Bike Build Blitz #2
On Friday, May 27th we will be having our second Bike Build Blitz from 6pm-12am. We had about 15 volunteers show up and build about 17 bikes. Half of them got sold in our retail shop the next day. Everyone had fun, so we are doing it again. We will be having a Bike Build Blitz once a month for the rest of the summer (and maybe even longer if interest stays).
These events are aimed at longer term volunteers who are very confident in their bike building abilities. New volunteers that have gone through an orientation are welcome to come, we’ll pair you up with a more veteran volunteer to help you practice your skills!
Youth Rides!
Once a month we are going to actually ride bikes. I often joke that the staff here is too busy building bikes and organizing to actually ride bikes. Jack, one of our wonderful collective members, is making an effort to get us riding again with our Youth.
Our first youth ride will be happening on May 21st after Youth Earn-a-Bike. If you are interested in volunteering for the ride by helping corral our youth and demonstrating good riding behavior, let me know. A helmet is mandatory.
New Volunteer Hours?
We had a volunteer meeting yesterday and there were many comments that the Bike Build Blitz was a success. It left volunteers wanting more. Two hours on Wednesday and Thursday night was not enough.
Unfortunately, I can’t announce any changes at this time, but I will be starting a discussion with the collective about expanding volunteer nights. So keep an eye out for a possible announcement soon letting you know how long volunteer nights will be.
I know some of you have been wanting to see this happen for a while. I hope to have good news for you soon.
See you all upstairs soon,
Jason x