Volunteer Spotlight: Zac Strode
In his nine months volunteering with us, Zac has offered his enthusiastic support in just about every program that we offer. He is a key member of our Create a Commuter workshop team, where he has helped us provide dozens of adults with the fully-outfitted bicycles they need to get around town. Zac’s a regular on Tuesday nights, where you can find him wrenching on bicycles destined for the Holiday Bike Drive, sharing his knowledge with others, and eating lots of cookies. He is also a mainstay of the Get Lit outreach team, a Holiday Bike Drive volunteer, and the newest member of the volunteer crew that refurbishes bicycles for our Bike Clubs. His enthusiasm, dedication and sense of humor are infectious; we are so lucky to inspire his support.
How long have you been volunteering at the Community Cycling Center? How did you start?
I started volunteering at the Community Cycling Center about nine months ago because I was interested in three things: improving my amateur mechanic skills, increasing bicycle awareness, and creating a sense of community.
What sort of volunteer work do you do?
I’m lucky enough that I get to help instruct Create a Commuter workshops. On Tuesday nights I pretend to refurbish Holiday Bike Drive bikes so that I can eat the free cookies and I just recently started testing my wrenching skills against the more challenging Bike Club bikes.
Why do you volunteer here?
Like I said before: free cookies. But also because I am fascinated by the bicycle’s potential to improve lives as both a toy and a tool. I believe that the Community Cycling Center’s bottom-up philosophy is the most effective strategy for providing valuable assistance to those in need, turning people on to the joys of cycling, and raising public awareness about cycling.
What is your favorite Community Cycling Center program?
The Create a Commuter program, without a doubt, because it is all about empowering individuals and providing them with an affordable, reliable, sustainable, and self-sufficient mode of transportation. There is nothing more rewarding than watching the participants go through the workshop and suddenly realize how much personal freedom their new bicycle provides.
What is your dream bike?
It’s all black. Every detail and component on this bike is black. And it’s perfectly silent, even while coasting, the freewheel won’t make a peep. Essentially, it’s the stealthiest bike ever. When I ride through a shadow, it looks like I’m floating.
Photo by Ben Latterell