I have been a volunteer for Cycle-Re-Cycle for nearly 4 years. Have had an amazing time and been part of a team that has grown the organization.
After finishing a Bicycle powered 4 lane slot car race track for the SWMI Mini Maker Faire I ready to work on our summer youth program. Cycle-We-Cycle is a collaborative effort with YMCA of SWMI’s Summer My Way camp. This will be the third year we have run the program and more importantly the first year it’s being operated outside the two year grant that got to program up and going.
Later in the fall we have Beer:30 a brewery tour benefitting Cycle-Re-Cycle, The Greatest Ride a tour of ARS Gallery & Cultures centers I Am The Greatest public sculpture installation and Bike Berrien Co. Parks on NPLD National Public Land Day.
This great organization has helped so many people that are less fortunate. There are folks that don't have vehicles and the bike is there only means of transportation. Cycle-Re-Cycle helps keep them on the road. They also help young people learn skills in bike maintenance.
I've known the program almost since its beginning as a collaborator, advocate, and donor. Cycle-Re-Cycle has been an important resource for the Benton Harbor Community. Brining more awareness of the people who use bikes as transportation, our developing bike routes, and teaching bike maintenance.
Youth are engaged by the opportunity to work towards their own bikes and learning safety rules, follow-through, improved communication skills, collaboration, mechanics. They also attain skills of philanthropy and a better understanding of how to access the community's, resources, and ownership of their community.
CreC has collaborated with other community non-profits working with youth to provide access to Arts Programming, other Youth and Sports groups to enrich the C re C program, and provide additional services to each of the programs.
Cycle-Re-Cycle has been doing great work in the town of Benton Harbor for years. I first visited them when I needed an older bike for a trip to Burning Man. The volunteers worked with me to get something that was old and funky and fit me perfectly. Hanging at the shop and hearing the stories of the techs and seeing the excited kids learning was so good for the heart! After that I started noticing their upcycled bikes all over town. They've made a lot of people happy!
As a commuter cyclist and a woman I can't say enough about how great of an impact Cycle-re-Cycle has had on my life. Over four years ago I came into the shop with only a little knowledge of my bicycle and I was welcomed and respected. Over the years I have learned volumes about how to operate repair and maintain my ride. I know how much this community bike shop has helped me personally and I know that I am only one of many that have seen great improvement in their life because of it CRC is a great asset to our community where there is a lot of need for those on two wheels!
Cycle-Re-Cycle touches the community in a lot of ways. My experience came first when I purchased a bicycle for a friend of mine and later I purchased another bicycle for myself. So they are a wonderful source of good used bikes and help to make bikes more affordable. I've also participated in some of their rides and they do some wonderful things about getting the community and kids in particular involved in cycling.
I first got involved with Cycle-Re-Cycle in November of 2014. Since that time personally I’ve met some amazing people. It's amazing to interact & work with people from such dynamic walks of life. I have fostered great friendships, discovered mentors, worked as a team in ways I would have never been able to without the organization. What has had the greatest impact is the people Cycle-Re-Cycle services. In my 3 years I worked with 30 or 40 youths and over dozen adults in our Earn-a-Bike program. One of the adults went on to tell his story on CBS Sunday Morning and two of the Earn-a-Bike youths are still volunteers. We complete our first grant for Cycle-We-Cycle. A 2 year summer youth program where Cycle-Re-Cycle worked with the local YMCA. In addition collaborating with ARS Gallery & Culture Center we led at least 4 different group tours centered around artist Jon Sauve’s, I Am The Greatest public art project to empower at risk youth. These seem like small triumphs but provide a certain fulfillment.
I encourage people to get involved how ever they can. This is a great organization.
Cycle-Re-Cycle 10/26/2017
Thank you for the wonderful review. It's volunteers like you that keep Cycle-Re-Cycle going. Funny how people of different ages and walks for life can come together to achieve a common goal. Sometimes a simple misunderstanding leads to all sorts of nonsense. We appreciate & celebrate all you & all our volunteers. See you around.