“Dear Joe,
Spending these past few months volunteering at The Hub has been an incredbile experience. Not only was I able to pick up a few helpful pieces of knowledge about bicycles and learn a lot about what it means to be a non-profit organization in Detroit, you also helped me understand that community needs do not always fit a simple structure and addressing these problems will also take complex and unique solutions. at the beginning of the semester we started with organizing documents which was interesting as it provided insight into the history of Back Alley Bikes, and the evolution of the organization through data, articles, photos and emails. Yet somehow by the end of our time together we were building a bike, and sharing stories about our own history and knowledge of bikes. The guidance you offered not only in relation to our work at The Hub,, but also with my thinking about the city of Detroit, its challenges as well as its often overlooked shining points, will stay with me. It is my goal to continue being a part of The Hub, so I hope to be seeing you around, but I still want you to know that your help and friendship have been a wonderful gift. Thank you for allowing me to spend time with such an amazing organization, and when it comes to bikes being a serious form of transportation you have definitely made me a believer.
Sincerely,
Kaitlin”