Sibley Bike Depot
I got a great "backstage tour" of the Sibley Bike Depot today, thanks to one of their board members, Julia Wells. Now remember, I don't have the foggiest notion of how to actually ride a bike, so the fact that I was as impressed as I was speaks volumes about what they do.
Though the Depot's mission is to "be an open, accessible space to educate and empower people to use bicycles as transportation, helping to build a sustainable environment and community," what that really means to me is "Changing the world, one bike at a time."
Seriously, check out their programs:
- a bike library that loans bikes to low-income community members
- an "earn-a-bike" program that allows people to allow people who can't afford bikes to get their own (and take care of it)
- a (FREE!) fully-equipped shop where people can work on their bikes (including special women and transgender nights)
- youth and adult rides
- a plethora of classes of all kinds
- a bike recycling program that rebuilds and resells donated bikes cheaply, and recycles items that can't be re-used
They do this all on a shoestring budget and with really involved board members (what's the last board you've seen that meets 2x a month and dedicates another 15 hours or so of month of direct service time) and volunteers.
If you're looking for a new bike, have one to donate, want to fix yours up, or simply want to see a great organization in action, I encourage you to check them out.
It may even get me to learn to ride!
Though the Depot's mission is to "be an open, accessible space to educate and empower people to use bicycles as transportation, helping to build a sustainable environment and community," what that really means to me is "Changing the world, one bike at a time."
Seriously, check out their programs:
- a bike library that loans bikes to low-income community members
- an "earn-a-bike" program that allows people to allow people who can't afford bikes to get their own (and take care of it)
- a (FREE!) fully-equipped shop where people can work on their bikes (including special women and transgender nights)
- youth and adult rides
- a plethora of classes of all kinds
- a bike recycling program that rebuilds and resells donated bikes cheaply, and recycles items that can't be re-used
They do this all on a shoestring budget and with really involved board members (what's the last board you've seen that meets 2x a month and dedicates another 15 hours or so of month of direct service time) and volunteers.
If you're looking for a new bike, have one to donate, want to fix yours up, or simply want to see a great organization in action, I encourage you to check them out.
It may even get me to learn to ride!
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