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 R Community Bikes is a 501(c)3 organization, staffed entirely by volunteers, that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to the Rochester, NY area’s most needy children and adults. It was started in 2008. They give away over 2,000 bicycles every year and do over 3,000 repairs for their clients, many of whom depend on bicycles as their main source of transportation. Starting in 2014, they began providing tricycles to disabled individuals who wouldn’t otherwise be able to ride. In addition, they supply bicycles or repair services to dozens of community organizations, including church groups, youth centers, and neighborhood associations. Tim thanked our club for our annual support. They now have 5 "offsites" during the good weather season where they give away bikes and do repairs. The home shop is open every Wednesday and Saturday 12 months a year. They are still looking to move to a bigger place as inventory grows each year and need more room to store bikes and repair equipment. They will take any kind of bike as a donation and they come in 4 types: 1) garbage, 2) some good parts, 3) Fix and give away, or 4) Good for resale. Special Ed student and adults are frequently "hired" to help out in the shop to do odd jobs. Many of the bikes these days are going to refugee households like those we have heard about from No One Left Behind. |
.... All clubs (including ours) that applied for the District Simplified Grant were awarded money but the details on the amount of money were not shared.
