Bike
Recycle Vermont started in July 2004
to provide bicycles for Somali families
who were sponsored by the Vermont
Refugee Resettlement Program. Within
a few months the project collected
over 200 bikes, repairing and delivering
dozens of them to participants at
no cost.
After operating out of volunteers’
backyards for a couple of months,
it became clear that our project would
be more effective if we developed
an organizational structure and built
a bike repair shop. In January 2005,
BRV became a self-supporting project
of Local Motion and entered into a
rental agreement with the Good News
Garage. The Good
News Garage is a non-profit that
provides donated automobiles to low-income
Vermonters at the cost of any required
repairs. BRV could not have begun
its operations with the support and
help of local bike shops, including
its close neighbors at the Old
Spokes Home.
In February 2005, BRV built a bike
shop in the lower level of the Good
News Garage. By the end of August
2005, volunteers had repaired and
provided over 250 bikes to the resettled
refugee community, COTS (the Committee
on Temporary Shelter), unsheltered
homeless adults, and children at the
COTS Family Center, the Baird Center,
Northeast Family Institute, Spectrum,
etc. Our volunteers maintain these
bikes for the recipients and provide
repairs for other qualified adults
who already have bicycles.
In the Spring of 2005, BRV ran a pilot
project for the Vermont Department
of the Blind and Visually Impaired,
providing 120 hours of training for
one of the DBVI’s clients. This
successful pilot has lead to additional
training for DBVI clients. BRV is
also working with Vocational Rehabilitation
and the Department of Employment and
Training to develop job-skills training
for disabled and/or disadvantaged
Vermonters. BRV is also providing
training for several school-based
programs and residential and non-residential
youth programs. The breadth of these
offerings stretched BRV’s all-volunteer
staff beyond their sustainable capacity.
In September 2005, BRV began the process
of hiring a full time director with
a strong background in education and
bike mechanic skills.
Bike Recycle Vermont was honored by
the United Way in September 2005.
They bestowed upon BRV a Hometown
Hero award in front of 300 business
and community leaders. As part of
this recognition, BRV received a $2,000
award and a new IBM laptop to help
them continue their good work. See
the newspaper
spot that highlighted this achievement.
|
Timeline |
March
2004
Somali
immigrants arrive to
area as VT Refugee Resettlement
struggles to find transportation
for these new residents.
Social workers and bicycle
advocates discuss possible
solutions. |
July
2004
Volunteers
establish Bicycle Recycle
Vermont (BRV). Effort
operates out of various
backyards. |
January
2005
BRV
becomes a formal initiative
of Local Motion while
solidifying its collaborative
relationship with social
service agencies. |
February
2005
BRV
moves into space partially
donated by Good News
Garage in the heart
of Burlington’s
Old North End. |
August
2005
BRV
volunteers donated the
organization’s
250th bicycle to a child
from the COTS family
shelter. |
September
2005
BRV
is awarded a United
Way “Hometown
Hero” award. |
September
2005
Training
with schools and after-school
programs initiated. |
October
2005
BRV
embarks on a 3-year
strategic planning process
to guide its evolution. |
November
2005
400th
bicycle provided! |
|
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