R Community Bikes: Difference between revisions

R Community Bikes
Website	http://www.rcommunitybikes.net/
Email	info@rcommunitybikes.net
Founded	2001
Location	Rochester, New York, United States
Language	English; Spanish;
Services Offered	Mobile Repair Services; Workshops; Free Repair Services; Bike Giveaway;
Mission Statement	R Community Bikes is an organization in Rochester, New York, that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to Rochester, NY's most needy children and adults. Our mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions.

Latest revision as of 00:35, 2 September 2021

R Community Bikes is a grassroots, all-volunteer, 501(c)3 organization that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to the Rochester, NY area's most needy children and adults. Our mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions. For this segment of the population, both quality of life and the ability to participate in our community are greatly enhanced when our mission is achieved. R Community Bikes also provides a venue for the Rochester bicycling community to conduct educational programs relative to bicycle safety and maintenance.

We are open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at our warehouse at 226 Hudson Ave. (at the intersection with Woodbury Street). Bike give-aways take place only on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the warehouse beginning at 9:30 AM. In addition, we perform bike repairs, free of charge, daily at the shop, and in the summer at four off-site locations.

We welcome donations of bikes, bike parts, tools and money to cover expenses such as spare parts. We are always in need of volunteers to serve as mechanics and a variety of other positions. We provide the necessary training.

Contact Info

The address and phone number for the shop is as follows:

226 Hudson Ave
Rochester, NY
(585) 234-2008

You may send mail to:

R Community Bikes
P.O. Box 26471
Rochester, NY 14626

You may send email to rcombikes@yahoo.com.

You can also find R Community Bikes on Facebook

History

Significant Events

Spring 2001	Bill D’anza, recently retired mental health administrator and recreational cyclist, helps a person with a flat tire while volunteering at St Joe’s House of Hospitality. In the weeks to come, more bicycles in need of repair show up. Dan Lill, recently retired teacher at Rochester School for the Deaf and volunteer at St Joe’s, joins Bill in conducting bicycle repairs for those in need.
2001 to 2004	Repair clinics are held in the parking lot of the shelter with some tools and a bike stand. More volunteers gather. Used bicycles are donated to the cause for parts. Some used bicycles are rehabilitated by volunteers for clients of the shelter without transportation. Eventually, the group of volunteers partners with an organization with shop space at 226 Hudson Avenue.
2005	The partner organization leaves the space at 226 Hudson Avenue and the group of volunteers begins to rent the space directly.
2008	The group of volunteers incorporates as a 501c3 charitable non-profit organization under the name R Community Bikes, Inc.
2010	A 14’ trailer is donated to serve as a mobile repair station and transportation for collected bikes. In the summer, the trailer is used to conduct repairs at the Westside Farmers’ Market.
2011	R Community Bikes, Inc. purchases 226 Hudson Avenue and renovates it to serve their needs better as a shop and storage facility.

Awards received by R Community Bikes and its Founders

Fall 2010	Bronze award as a Bike Friendly Business from The League of American Bicyclists
2011	Certificate of Recognition for 10 years of service from the Monroe County Legislature
October 2012	Finalist for the Farash Prize for Social Entrepreneurship from the Farash Foundation
2013	Thomas Richards Peacemaker Award
June 2013	E-chievement award from the eTown radio show
April 2014	Community Health Award from Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield
August 2014	Healthy Lifestyle Award from Conkey Cruisers

Some Statistics

Year	Giveaway Bikes	Repairs	Volunteer Hours
2008	586	[1]	5295
2009	1323	[1]	7849
2010	2434	[1]	14717
2011	2662	3048	14693
2012	2703	~3300	~13600
2013	2487	3835	14245
2014	2601	3905	15552
2015	~2600	~4200	~17000
[1] Number unknown

Services Offered

Bike Giveaway	Biweekly giveaway of refurbished used bicycles at the shop to those in need who can provide a referral from a social service agency or similar organization and a lock or money for a simple lock.
Free Repair Services	Repairs are conducted at the main shop on giveaway days during the warmer months and any day during the winter. During the warmer months, repairs are also conducted, often out of a trailer, at various off-site locations, each a different day of the week. Bikes are repaired by volunteer mechanics on a first come, first served basis and with emphasis on functionality and utility.
Training Workshops and Apprenticing	Periodic Sunday training sessions are held for those interested in working on bikes, to familiarize new volunteers with a basic list of components and the shop. After training, new volunteers are placed alongside more seasoned mechanics to receive guidance from and ask questions of.
Used Bikes to Purchase	Refurbished brand name bikes for sale during shop hours, with prices starting at $100. Proceeds go to pay for shop expenses.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
     | name           = R Community Bikes
     | logo           = RCommunityBikesLogo.jpg
-    | year_founded   = 2008
+    | year_founded   =2001
     <!-- Leave this next field empty if the organization is still in operation -->
     | year_dissolved =
     | website  = http://www.rcommunitybikes.net/
+   | email = info@rcommunitybikes.net
     | town     = Rochester
     | state    = New York
@@ Line 26: / Line 27: @@
     | has-mobile-repair      = yes
     | has-bike-sharing       = no
-    | has-earn-a-bike        = yes
+    | has-earn-a-bike        = no
     | has-bike-valet         = no
-    | has-workshops          = no
+    | has-workshops          = yes
     | has-courses            = no
     | has-group-rides        = no
@@ Line 37: / Line 38: @@
     | has-youth-racing       = no
     | has-women-trans-hours  = no
+   | has-free-repair  = yes
+   | has-bike-giveaway  = yes
     <!-- Please share your mission statement or mandate -->
@@ Line 42: / Line 45: @@
 R Community Bikes is an organization in Rochester, New York, that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to Rochester, NY's most needy children and adults. Our mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions.
 }}
+<!--   Tell us a little bit about your shop here    -->
+'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a grassroots, all-volunteer, 501(c)3 organization that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to the Rochester, NY area's most needy children and adults. Our mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions. For this segment of the population, both quality of life and the ability to participate in our community are greatly enhanced when our mission is achieved. R Community Bikes also provides a venue for the Rochester bicycling community to conduct educational programs relative to bicycle safety and maintenance.
+We are open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at our warehouse at 226 Hudson Ave. (at the intersection with Woodbury Street). Bike give-aways take place only on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the warehouse beginning at 9:30 AM. In addition, we perform bike repairs, free of charge, daily at the shop, and in the summer at four off-site locations.
+We welcome donations of bikes, bike parts, tools and money to cover expenses such as spare parts. We are always in need of volunteers to serve as mechanics and a variety of other positions. We provide the necessary training.
+== Contact Info ==
+<!--   Mailing addres, or email or both    -->
+The address and phone number for the shop is as follows:
+Hudson Ave<br/>
+Rochester, NY<br/>
+(585) 234-2008
+You may send mail to:
+R Community Bikes<br/>
+P.O. Box 26471<br/>
+Rochester, NY 14626
+You may send email to rcombikes@yahoo.com.
+You can also find R Community Bikes on [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101401285300 Facebook]
+== History ==
+<!--   Let know know how you came to be where you are now.    -->
+===Significant Events===
+{|width="100%"
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | Spring 2001
+| Bill D’anza, recently retired mental health administrator and recreational cyclist, helps a person with a flat tire while volunteering at St Joe’s House of Hospitality. In the weeks to come, more bicycles in need of repair show up. Dan Lill, recently retired teacher at Rochester School for the Deaf and volunteer at St Joe’s, joins Bill in conducting bicycle repairs for those in need.
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2001 to 2004
+| Repair clinics are held in the parking lot of the shelter with some tools and a bike stand. More volunteers gather. Used bicycles are donated to the cause for parts. Some used bicycles are rehabilitated by volunteers for clients of the shelter without transportation. Eventually, the group of volunteers partners with an organization with shop space at 226 Hudson Avenue.
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2005
+| The partner organization leaves the space at 226 Hudson Avenue and the group of volunteers begins to rent the space directly.
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2008
+| The group of volunteers incorporates as a 501c3 charitable non-profit organization under the name R Community Bikes, Inc.
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2010
+| A 14’ trailer is donated to serve as a mobile repair station and transportation for collected bikes. In the summer, the trailer is used to conduct repairs at the Westside Farmers’ Market.
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2011
+| R Community Bikes, Inc. purchases 226 Hudson Avenue and renovates it to serve their needs better as a shop and storage facility.
+|}
+===Awards received by R Community Bikes and its Founders===
+{|width="100%"
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | Fall 2010
+| Bronze award as a [http://bikeleague.org/business Bike Friendly Business] from [http://bikeleague.org/content/about-league The League of American Bicyclists]
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2011
+| Certificate of Recognition for 10 years of service from the Monroe County Legislature
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | October 2012
+| Finalist for the Farash Prize for Social Entrepreneurship from the Farash Foundation
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | 2013
+| Thomas Richards Peacemaker Award
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | June 2013
+| E-chievement award from the eTown radio show
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | April 2014
+| Community Health Award from Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield
+|-
+|style="width: 13%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | August 2014
+| Healthy Lifestyle Award from Conkey Cruisers
+|}
+===Some Statistics===
+{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; margin: auto;" width="72%"
+|-
+! Year || Giveaway Bikes || Repairs || Volunteer Hours
+|-
+| 2008 || 586            || [1]       || 5295
+|-
+| 2009 || 1323           || [1]       || 7849
+|-
+| 2010 || 2434           || [1]      || 14717
+|-
+| 2011 || 2662           || 3048    || 14693
+|-
+| 2012 || 2703           || ~3300   || ~13600
+|-
+| 2013 || 2487           || 3835    || 14245
+|-
+| 2014 || 2601           || 3905    || 15552
+|-
+| 2015 || ~2600           || ~4200    || ~17000
+|-
+| style="text-align: left;" colspan="4"| [1] Number unknown
+|}
+== Services Offered ==
+<!--   Tell us a little more about the services you offer.    -->
+{|width="100%"
+|style="text-style: bold; width: 21%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | [[Bike Giveaway]]
+| Biweekly giveaway of refurbished used bicycles at the shop to those in need who can provide a referral from a social service agency or similar organization and a lock or money for a simple lock.
+|-
+|style=" text-style: bold; width: 21%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | [[Free Repair Services]]
+| Repairs are conducted at the main shop on giveaway days during the warmer months and any day during the winter.  During the warmer months, repairs are also conducted, often [[Mobile Repair Services|out of a trailer]], at various off-site locations, each a different day of the week.  Bikes are repaired by volunteer mechanics on a first come, first served basis and with emphasis on functionality and utility.
+|-
+|style=" text-style: bold; width: 21%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | Training [[Workshops]] <br>and Apprenticing
+| Periodic Sunday training sessions are held for those interested in working on bikes, to familiarize new volunteers with a basic list of components and the shop.  After training, new volunteers are placed alongside more seasoned mechanics to receive guidance from and ask questions of.
+|-
+|style=" text-style: bold; width: 21%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top; border-right: solid 10px white;" | Used Bikes to Purchase
+| Refurbished brand name bikes for sale during shop hours, with prices starting at $100.  Proceeds go to pay for shop expenses.
+|}