HomeMy WebLinkAboutThriving Communities - BIPOC and FHT Thriving Communities Grant Proposal for The ReCyclery
BIPOC and Families Healing Trauma Access Nights
Project Overview: We propose hosting Access Nights for diverse populations in our
community to increase knowledge and exposure to bike maintenance skills for folks who may
not traditionally feel welcome or comfortable in a bike shop setting. The program’s impact is
increasing confidence around bike maintenance so bike riding can be seen as a viable
transportation method and recreational pursuit among ALL community members. This opens
opportunities to utilize bike pathways like the Larry Scott Trail and the ODT as well as bike
commuting using a bike-bus combo when living out of town.
Project Scope Statement: The ReCyclery will host 3-hour open shop events for our BIPOC
community and families healing from trauma. These shop events will include a mechanic, who
reflects the community being served, providing support with bike maintenance, along with tools,
stands, and consumable items such as grease, lubricants, gloves and rags. Participants can
bring their own bikes, or we will provide one for them to work on. There will be guided instruction
as well as open space for participants to work on their own. Snacks and non-alcoholic
beverages will be provided to help create a welcoming environment. These events are equal
parts building a sense of belonging in the bike community as well as learning bike maintenance
skills.
The ReCyclery will work with a community leader, for example, JCIRA ( Jefferson County
Immigrants Rights Association ) and immigrant families, to identify the best times and frequency
for program delivery. For example, this could be a weekly program for 2 or 3 months with
families that meet on Saturdays or a year-long option that meets monthly for youth. We will
advertise to the targeted audience through partner organizations, flyers at locations where they
congregate, and on social media and local newspapers. Our programs tend to rely on
recommendations from people who experience them and tell their friends. BIOPC and FHT
Access Nights meet our mission and vision by creating new community contacts and growing
the cycling community in Jefferson County.
Timeline:
January Connect with community leaders /
organizations
Establish relationships, resources, scope of
program and shared goals with partners
February - March Develop program / Hiring mechanics
/ Recruit participants
Program frequency and time, specific
needs for population, desired outcomes,
and recruitment strategies.
April - November Deliver program
December Evaluate Assess outcomes, evaluate, and apply
changes for the next year
Milestones:
● Host six BIPOC nights and four Families Healing Trauma nights in 2026
● Grow participation to 10 people at each event
● ReCyclery hires a mechanic from the demographic of community served by event
Prior Success:
The ReCyclery has hosted a successful Women-Trans-Femme Access Night program from
June 2022 - May 2024. After a transition in staffing, the program began again in July 2025 and
is showing a steady level of growth.
Organization Profile:
Our mission:
“The ReCyclery, with our community, works to provide a pathway to safe and equitable
opportunities for cycling through promoting access, education, and advocacy”.
The ReCyclery began as a free service and education program with a goal of positive
social change by teaching people how to repair bicycles. These free maintenance clinics
happened quarterly, in any weather, under a tent in a parking lot. Bikes collected from
the dump and police station were reintegrated into the community for folks who would
otherwise go without a bike. These clinics, supported by local donations and fundraising,
eventually became a business, which included volunteers as shop mechanics and bike
educators promoting DIY bike culture. In 2012, it became an official nonprofit 501(c3)
and began bike education county-wide in middle schools. Eventually, the shop operation
eclipsed education and in 2022 the organization took time to reevaluate and realign with
the mission. The economic model shifted from shop revenue to grant funding. When it
reopened, the emphasis was on the Freewheels Program, the Bike Safety Education
Program in schools, and teaching bike maintenance skills through the Community Shop
Program. We see that bikes change lives and learning bike maintenance develops
confident bike owners. We provide shop space, tools, and a mechanic to teach skills. We
provide reliable, economical transportation for those who need it, and specifically those
with financial barriers. We work to provide bike education for youth and bike access to all
members of our community, especially our marginalized populations and folks
traditionally outside of the bike community.
Evaluation Plan:
We will track the following metrics:
- Number of participants
- Increase of participants over time
- Number of repeat participants vs new participants
- Qualitative data of participant stories on how these events affect their confidence,
choices, and sense of self as a cyclist
References:
Rachel Longest Marybeth Armstrong
Youth Development Partnership Manager Teacher/ Bike Team
Cascade Bicycle Club OCEAN School
rachel.longest@cascade.org marmstrong@ptschools.org
Daisy Janes
Jefferson Teen Center
daisy@jeffersonteencenter.org