volunteer
How to Volunteer with US
1. come by the shop
We welcome volunteers of any age, skill level, and background, and have lots of resources to help get you started! First, please drop in to a weekly Thursday Volunteer Night from 6 - 8 PM. You’ll get to see the shop, meet other volunteers in the program, and assist with a first task!
2. SET UP A VOLUNTEER PROFILE
Setting up a volunteer profile will help us get to know you a little better and get you plugged into the best fit based on your skillset!
3. SIGN UP FOR A SHIFT
Now that you have a profile you can sign up for any shift that matches your interests and availability. Come volunteer to make new friends, learn new skills, and make a huge difference in your community - all while having some fun doing it!
Our Biggest Volunteer Need
We are looking for new VOLUNTEER MECHANICS to get involved this fall!
While we donate bikes to our community year round we go especially crazy every December and donate more than 550 bikes.
Preparations for that event takes the full attention of our volunteer program and is a giant scramble every year starting in October.
If bike repairs are new to you, join us at one of our volunteer nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we will help teach you new repair skills. If you are already comfortable working on bikes sign up for a volunteer mechanic shift during our shop hours and we will work to orient you in the flow of our shop.
Any time you can spend helping to fix bikes back up so they can go out will help get us ready for December 14 when we will have 550 kids coming to our shop to get a new bike for the holidays!
types of volunteer positions
Beginning mechanic opportunities
We’re happy to teach mechanic skills to new volunteers! We host a small volunteer night every Tuesday from 6 - 8 PM in our shop.
During these nights, you’ll work to learn new skills like servicing a headset, bottom bracket, brakes, or shifting. Please sign up ahead of time to reserve a stand!
VOLUNTEER NIGHTS
Our most social volunteer opportunities are our weekly Volunteer Nights
This is a great shift for volunteers looking for a regular community meet-up to assist with the shop’s most pressing needs. This could look like setting up for a bike giveaway, preparing for a special event, or offering free repairs to kids in the community.
Our volunteers take on different projects every week, but since the shop is closed our staff can be more attentive. This is another great opportunity for new volunteers to get oriented in our programs and to practice new skills.
in-shop volunteer opportunities
People can volunteer in our shop during business hours in three ways.
Volunteer mechanics help refurbish bikes to give away with our programs. BBP donates ~1,500 bikes a year to adults & kids lacking transportation to school, work, etc.
Donation support volunteers assist in our warehouse as bikes are donated - helping to identify which bikes can be safely refurbished and recycling bike components from the ones that can’t be fixed. This is a good opportunity for those looking to build bike mechanic skills.
Shop-floor mechanics help on the main floor of the shop assisting with emergency repairs and other repairs as customers come in.
MOBILE FIX-IT REPAIRS
Volunteers and staff visit different schools, apartment complexes, or community centers every week to provide free bike repairs for kids. Most of these repairs are very simple and easy to learn on the spot- along the lines of adjusting brakes, shifting, or repairing a popped tube.
There’s almost nothing as immediately gratifying as teaching a kid how to fix their broken bike and seeing their excitement when they get to ride again!
Community Events
We offer a diverse range of volunteer opportunities, particularly at events we organize or participate in publicly. Whether it's tabling at breweries and beer festivals or supporting advocacy campaigns around town, we engage in a variety of events annually.
Volunteers can contribute in various ways, such as repairing bikes, distributing information about our programs, assisting with equipment transportation, setup, and more!
Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway
We plan to give away more than 550 bikes on December 14 but we need your help to make that possible!
Today we launched our volunteer shifts for the event and are looking for help welcoming families as they arrive, matching bikes to the kids receiving them, and managing several donation stations across the event.
We also need translators who can assist families through languages common to our programs including Spanish, Arabic, Swahili, Dari, and more.
“I strongly believe in what BBP is about and it feels good to be a part of the community.”
~ Eric Roth, Regular Volunteer Mechanic
