volunteer
How to Volunteer with US
Consider Visiting Our Shop
Have you been in our shop before? If you haven’t, consider coming in and checking out our space and what we do! See our shop floor, our volunteer room, and our warehouse to get a sense of where you can plug in.
SET UP A VOLUNTEER PROFILE
Setting up a volunteer profile on Volunteer Local will help us gauge your volunteer interests & get you plugged in! This is an important step to make sure we can communicate with you.
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! Sign-ups are required to volunteer.
It’s Time to Prep For the Holidays
December 19th might just be the best day of the year as we plan to invite 550 children referred to the shop to come receive a bike for the holidays!
But that only happens if we begin the hard work of preparing for it now. Applications for this year’s event were sent to our referral partners on October 1 and cute hand drawn pictures of the bikes children hope to receive have started arriving to the shop.
Between now and December 19th, volunteers are needed to help refurbish bikes for the giveaway, receive and process bike donations at the shop and assist with large bike drives, assist with administrative tasks such as processing applications or contacting families with event logistics, and putting the final flourishes on bikes by installing desired decorations such as horns, baskets, stickers, and more.
Some of those shifts aren’t posted yet, but all of the ways you can help us prepare for our 20th Annual Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway will be posted here as new needs arise between now and the event.
types of volunteer positions
Drop in Teen Program (Ages 12-17)
Learn basic bike repair. Make friends. Work on bikes with other teens.
Every Thursday, 4 - 6 PM
A weekly session where you can build skills, earn volunteer hours, and get comfortable working in the shop with no long-term commitment required. You’ll help refurbish bikes for kids in the community while learning mechanics along the way.
No need to sign up - just show up!
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 opportunities
People can volunteer in our shop during business hours in two ways.
Volunteer mechanics help refurbish bikes to give away with our programs. BBP donates ~1,600 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.
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 & Membership Program
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.
And, for our membership program we are always looking for volunteers to assist with administrative tasks at the shop such as mailing renewal notices and benefit coupons to BBP members.
Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway
This year’s Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway will be held on December 19th and it will take more than 100 volunteers to make the day a success from needing assistance welcoming families as they arrive, to fitting children to bikes, to operating giveaway stations giving other forms of aid to families including warm winter clothes and take home meals.
Shifts for the event are not yet posted, but will go online by Nov. 17th!
In the meantime, click the link below to see all the ways you can help us prep for the big event at our shop as we process applications, field bike donations, and build 600 bikes for the event!