Ok, on topic this time.
BikeSaviours is open sunday, monday for classes, and wednesday for
ladies night. We have a great little crew of people and a large,
fantastic space, but we're a bit limited by the size of our volunteer
staff. I'd love to be open more. Part of it is attracting more
volunteers and co-op members. We hope to be able to pay an employee
at some point.
In the meantime, we've been looking to expand our outreach and better
serve our local community. Here are a few things that have happened
at Bike Saviours. Two of our members recently attended a program to
help the local hopeless and offered bike repair services free for a
day. Several of our members pull double duty with the Tempe Bike
Action Group, a local advocacy organization that predates the co-op
by several years. We've had bikes donated from the municipal
recycling/waste resource center of Chandler, Az. Boy Scouts have
built bikes for a local elementary school from 20inch bikes.
We've been having people from outside the co-op come in and present
ideas for collaborating with other non-profits/groups/charities. Have
people had luck in collaborating with other non-profits in their
respective areas? Are there other groups with similar goals that you
work with? Have you ever opened up your space to other groups/non
profits/projects? I'd love to hear some input.