December 4, 2007
Elves Hard at Work
Things are looking really good at the Community Cycling Center where volunteers and staff are hard at work readying bikes for kids for the holidays. On November 29, sixteen Bike Gallery employees had a record-breaking night - they refurbished 31 bikes in one night. On average, a volunteer group finishes about 15!
With the support of over 1,500 volunteer hours so far, CCC is well on their way to the goal of preparing 550 bikes: they have 495. And they're inching ever closer to their $46,000 fundraising goal: to date they have raised $28,941.
You can help! There's still time to volunteer, donate a bike or donate your $ to make a difference. Fore more information, see their website.
This article is part of ORbike's ongoing coverage of the Community Cycling Center's Holiday Bike Drive.
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November 17, 2007
Holiday Bike Drive Update
The holiday season is right around the corner and for the Community Cycling Center that means Holiday Bike Drive time. The little elves of the CCC are hard at work getting bikes shiny, fixing flat tires, putting on new seats and making sure that hundreds of donated bikes (550, to be exact) are the best gifts for the little tykes who will take them home.
Volunteers have been coming in just about every day but the CCC doesn't have 550 bikes just yet - they've got 464. And they definitely have not reached the $46,000 they need to fund the program - they have raised $13,780 so far.
So the CCC is asking for your help. You can donate a bike, donate your time or donate a financial contribution to ensure a successful Holiday Bike Drive. Check out their website for details
This article is part of ORbike's ongoing coverage of the Community Cycling Center's Holiday Bike Drive.
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November 1, 2007
A Renewed Vision for the CCC
The Community Cycling Center got its start as a community resource center in the most authentic of ways. Brian Lacy, a cyclist with mechanic skills, was fed up with seeing children on the street without supervised activities and without functioning bikes. He decided to combine those two needs with his skills by bringing a repair stand out onto the sidewalk and offering to fix the kids' bikes if they would stick around to watch and learn. That was over 13 years ago. The Community Cycling Center now has a large building (that's still not large enough), a community bike shop, 2,000 volunteers and programs that serve hundreds of kids every year. And after all this growth, the staff decided that maybe it was time to stop, take a breath assess where they were headed and how they should get there.
This intensive visioning process resulted in a refined mission statement, a renewed commitment to the community, a huge open house party and great hope for future growth. So what is their mission now?
The mission now states that "The Community Cycling Center broadens access to bicycling and its benefits through our hands-on programs, volunteer projects, and neighborhood bike shop. We believe bicycles are a tool for personal empowerment and a vehicle for social change." Instead of their former system of providing programs to youth and happening to have one adult program, the CCC has solidified their commitment to the entire community. "Getting kids on bikes is great" says Director of Development Alison Hill-Graves. "But getting the entire family on bikes is even better."
The CCC provides clubs and camps for kids and classes and clinics for adults. They integrate paying workshop attendees with low-income scholarship-funded participants to bring the community together in a learning environment. They will also be assessing what the community really wants and needs and working to create new programs. They will be providing programs for women and hope to develop programs for teens.
Alison says their open house was "a new chapter in the future of the CCC." 2007 was their most financially successful year in the bike shop. They're financially stable and have reserve funds to help them get through the winter season, a time that's always difficult for bike shops. "We're stronger than we've ever been" Alison says.
This article is part of ORbike's ongoing coverage of the Community Cycling Center's Holiday Bike Drive.
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