Why everyone should come out to Volunteer Nights
By Rebecca Fisher, Social Media Intern
It’s a 7:00 pm on a Tuesday and NE Alberta Street is quiet, but Community Cycling Center is buzzing with energy. Twenty volunteers have come out for Volunteer Night to work on donated bikes for the Holiday Bike Drive, an event where about 300 children will earn bikes.
The Volunteers have come from all walks of life and their experience with working on bikes ranges from zero to having owned a bike shop for 25 years.
The atmosphere is a friendly one with those with more experience helping those with less. It’s certainty a setting where questions are encouraged and learning is the aim.
A regular volunteer, Mario (pictured above on the right) said he volunteers because he “wanted to help the community, likes bikes, gets to learn something and gives something back.” When asked what his favorite part of volunteering was, Mario said, “working on a bike that is in really bad shape and turning something useless into something a kid can ride.”
Mollie (pictured above on the left), who was working with Mario and who was experiencing her very first volunteer night said she came out to “learn more about how bikes work and to do some good for a great organization.”
Isabel (pictured above), a student from Reed, comes to Volunteer Night for PE credit, but this Tuesday because of fall break, she wasn’t actually required to come, she just came because she likes it! She comes because she “likes the bike mechanic aspect of it because it makes me think in a new way.”
It was Dylan’s first time at a Volunteer Night (pictured above on the right). About half way through, I asked him how it was going and he said “I’ve already done loads of things I’ve never done before, so I’m making progress!”
Laura (pictured above on the right), a long time volunteer, said the most rewarding part of Volunteer Night is seeing the results at Holiday Bike Drive. “It’s so special to be able to volunteer on Tuesdays then to go to the Holiday Bike Drive and see kids on the bikes you helped fix.”
An anonymous donor will donate $10 per person that shows up to Volunteer Night from October 6th through December 1st. Come out! Volunteer Night is every Tuesday at 7 pm. All are welcomed regardless of bike mechanical skills, but all new volunteers must participate in an orientation first. You can attend volunteer orientation on Tuesday, 11/3, by RSVPing to volunteer@communitycyclingcenter.org.