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- EIN 81-4063165
- (515) 708-1884
- 4625 Reliable Street Ames IA 50014-3849 USA
- wecyclecommunity.com
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Human Services, Transportation Assistance
Mission: Mission: to responsibly and safely redistribute used and refurbished bicycles to homeless or at-risk members of the community. Goal: to provide homeless and at-risk individuals with safe transportation alternatives to walking or busing, which may not be options for everyone. We bring these individuals closer to the resources necessary to help them become or remain self-sufficient and broaden their personal network. By quickening the pace at which an individual can meet their personal goals, that much more time is afforded them to create and meet new personal goals, get necessary rest, and perhaps enjoy more social or family time. Vision: keeping the core mission intact, we envision a local hub where community members can come to work on their bikes, receive maintenance and safety instruction, and socialize.
Programs: During fiscal year 2017, we-cycle put 35 adult bicycles and 30 kids' bicycles back into the hands of the homeless and at-risk population. We work in partnership with local homeless shelters, youth services, and other organizations that serve the homeless and at-risk. The recipients of these bikes use them for transportation to obtain or maintain employment, keep professional, medical, and personal appointments, increase grocery and other shopping options, and to otherwise become or stay engaged in their community. Each recipient receives a helmet, bike lock, and lights. Additional accessories include a multi-tool, water bottle, and bike rack, as resources allow. We-cyle has hosted a youth earn-a-bike in which a dozen local shelter youth participated over an 8-week program, thereby earning their own bike and learning a valuable skill set. Local neighborhood youth have also used shop hours to fix up their own bikes. We-cycle partnered with an isu summer program to provide those students with loaner bikes to use for transportation and recreation, which were then returned following the completion of the program. We-cycle is committed to ensuring that the homeless and at-risk population has access to the resources necessary to allow them to become or remain self-sufficient. We believe that bicycles bridge that gap.