Written by William Francis – Safe Routes to School Coordinator We are writing to celebrate over a year of close collaboration with Living Cully! We’ve been working together with volunteers to deliver food out of the NE Emergency Food Program (NEFP) to approximately 180 families in the Cully neighborhood every week. Living Cully specializes in […]
by Jude Perez On a grey and chilly March morning, the staff of the Community Cycling Center received an email that would leave us smiling from ear to ear. Elijah Shulman, a student at Northwest Academy, wrote to us with the most unexpected, but amazing, news of his decision to ride his bike 1,650 miles […]
Post written by Tyler Pell Matt Aranez comes to the Cycling Center after holding a similar position at Catholic Charities in Utah – a refugee resettlement agency – where he coordinated a massive volunteer mentor program for immigrant and refugee youth going through resettlement. Matt is eager to bridge his passions for helping people find […]
This post comes from Hanna Davis, our recent Volunteer & Events Manager. Wow! What a year for volunteers at the Community Cycling Center! Our volunteer appreciation party recently welcomed nearly 70 guests to the Lagunitas Community Room to celebrate our work with food, drinks, and a raffle. What’s more, we got the face time we […]
What a season it has been! Thanks to a partnership with the Portland Trail Blazers and a lot of elbow grease and shoe leather from our volunteers, the Community Cycling Center has proven a go-getting machine for three 5050 Raffles to date. To wit: Our last Trail Blazers game was a huge success. Not only did the […]
We are fortunate to have Hanna Davis join our team this month! In order to get to know her better, we asked her a little about herself. Why did you choose to join the Community Cycling Center? I’ve been in the non-profit world here in Portland for about the last six years — and it […]
Today, the nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy as a Day of Service—committing to building and strengthening our local communities. It’s a time to remember that hope, passion, community organizing, and the dream of a just world can create change. Individual actions matter. We at the Community Cycling Center would like to take […]
By Patrick Loftus, Volunteer and Event Manager For 22 years the Community Cycling Center has helped people of all ages experience the joy of earning their very own bikes. All of the bicycles for our Earn-a-Bike programs are fully cleaned and refurbished by staff and volunteers. It’s a lot of work that requires a lot […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager Rebecca joined the Community Cycling Center as a Communications Intern in 2015. Rebecca is a multi-talented volunteer. From writing to photography to speaking several languages, she can do it all. She supports multiple departments within our organization and helps us share many powerful stories about our programmatic work. […]
Patrick Loftus; Volunteer and Event Manager On Tuesday, the Community Cycling Center, with the help of six amazing volunteers, headed out to Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA to assemble bikes with the AT&T Cares Program. As we set up, Mariel of AT&T Mobility told us a little secret. Her team of almost 200 Pacific Northwest, […]
By Rebecca Fisher, Communications Intern On November 5th, Lumberyard Bike Park donated $10,000 worth of new bikes to the Community Cycling Center. Some kids were fortunate enough to ride home with these bikes in last Sunday’s Holiday Bike Drive. The rest of the bikes will be used to build up a bike fleet that our […]
By Mychal Tetteh, CEO When the Community Cycling Center began partnering with Lam Research Foundation in 2014, Steven Soto was their first employee in line to volunteer. Since getting his start on Tuesday Drop-In Night, he’s stepped up to help clean, refurbish, transport, and distribute bicycles in the community. He’s often joined by his son, Luke, […]
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 […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager Kathryn Sofich joined our all-volunteer board in 2010. Before that, she was introduced to our work through the magic of the Holiday Bike Drive. Her tireless commitment to the mission of the Community Cycling Center is evident in her leadership of our board, support of our staff, and […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager Cassidy is one of the most talented people I have had the pleasure to work with. He’s currently our graphic design intern, but has also helped us out with photography, videography, wrenching on bikes, and even scoring music! Cassidy is always willing to step in and volunteer when he can, […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager In this month’s volunteer spotlight, we celebrate Keil Mueller, one of our amazing board members. All of our board members generously volunteer their time to stewarding the mission of the Community Cycling Center. In addition to being a member of our board, Keil supports the fiscal health of […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager The Community Cycling Center had a very successful 2014, but we could not have done it without the support of our volunteers. Last week, we threw a party to celebrate the many accomplishments we made together. A look back at 2014 volunteer highlights: Volunteers helped us expand our […]
By Randi Orth, Former Volunteer & Outreach Manager at the Community Cycling Center For those who don’t know, Jim O’Horo holds the title of longest running volunteer with Community Cycling Center in its entire history. Having started his stint with us in 1996 on a suggestion from a former Bicycle Transportation Alliance staffer, his presence […]
By Heidi Beierle, Volunteer Storyteller Paul is a Community Cycling Center donor and regular volunteer. I spoke with him and his daughter, Nora, during a recent Tuesday night volunteer drop-in at the Alberta shop. I’m a volunteer, too, and curious why other volunteers contribute time and money to the organization. “I want to be a […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager Amy Meyer, our fabulous graphic design volunteer, came to us via a recommendation from a PNCA professor. I have had the pleasure of working with Amy on many key design projects this past year, including the launch of our Planned Giving Program brochure, a Portland Mercury advertisement for […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Melissa is a mainstay in the alternative transportation scene; she’s connected, to say the least. For Community Cycling Center, Melissa represents creative volunteerism at its best. While you won’t see her in our most frequently visited shop and program opportunities, her role is just as important: advocating for […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Where Laura finds the time to do so much, no one will ever know! She seems to be everywhere at once: helping our Development Team at our administrative office, taking a mid-day break to go help some other awesome Portland non-profit, back at our shop fixin’ a few […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager I first met Ralph at our weekly Tuesday Drop-In Nights. He initially stood out to me for two reasons: Ralph arrived by motorcycle and he had a focus on the process of bike repair that rivals few others. Over five years later, his volunteer shifts have transitioned from […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Heidi’s volunteer work at Community Cycling Center is very specific, though her support of our mission runs deep. While you won’t see Heidi working in our bike shop very much, her hours spent capturing the energy and feeling of our events and activities in writing is a […]
By Melinda Musser, Communications & Marketing Manager We are so excited to add six new board members to an already talented and dedicated team. Meet our newest members below. Queta González National Programs Director, Center for Diversity & the Environment Queta is the National Programs Director for the Portland-based Center for Diversity & the […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager I’m a pretty big fan of Nick. As a Tuesday Drop-In Night regular (and a perennial enthusiast of friendly debate on a wide range of intriguing topics), he’s a stand out. Nick is one of a few people that I’ve met who can wear new clothes while refurbishing […]
By Heidi Beierle, Volunteer Storyteller For 14 years, approximately 30 volunteers each year from Portland Wheelmen Touring Club have devoted three Fridays in November to repair and clean bikes for the Community Cycling Center’s Holiday Bike Drive. About 860 bikes have passed through the Wheelmen’s hands – fueled by 2016 slices of pizza – to […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Janelle has volunteered with the Community Cycling Center for years. Over the course of this past year, she managed to find herself in some of our most nuanced and exciting volunteer roles. And she acts like it’s not a big deal. (Hint: it IS a big deal, and […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Do you know Patti? We think you should! She has volunteered with us for over a decade, though this past year and a half she’s really stepped up her commitment. In short, Patti supported every major event in the last year in addition to joining our fundraising committee. […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Manager It is my very great pleasure to introduce you to our September Volunteer Spotlight: Jimmy! Jimmy consistently brings a community-minded, gentle blend of teaching to our shop and outreach program. Always with a mind for empowering the individuals he works alongside, Jimmy uses his toolset of hands-on, explanation-based […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Manager Marbry makes us look good. Literally. For over five years, she’s supported us by lending her design expertise to our fundraising and communications teams. Thanks to Marbry’s patient, talented design abilities, we published our Understanding Barriers to Bicycling report and have created engaging and beautiful fundraising collateral that […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Melissa made a big splash when they joined our Volunteer Program. With a knack for creating inclusive and inviting learning spaces, and an excitement for sharing knowledge, Melissa is a strong presence in our shop and programs. In less than a year, Melissa excelled in our bike shop, […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Since his start as a volunteer over a year ago, Charles enhances our weekly volunteer program of wrenching on tiny bikes with his casual, upbeat personality and meticulous attention to detail. He has a knack for teaching with patience and articulates the complexities of bike maintenance with the […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Manager Our volunteers know how to have a good time and Volunteer Appreciation Night on January 29th was no exception. The shop was abuzz with friendly conversations and laughter as volunteers caught up with old friends and made new ones. The passion and sense of community volunteers bring to […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Manager Pam is a regular on the Tuesday Drop-In scene at our bike shop after volunteering at the Holiday Bike Drive in 2011. Never one to hesitate, Pam jumps into any bike project and is a wonderful teacher to those who are learning alongside her. In addition to bringing […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Sam is a regular at our Tuesday Drop-In nights, supporting us in many ways like wrenching bikes as a Holiday Bike Drive Certified Mechanic, and truing wheels in the Guest Mechanic program. He is keen to soak up any knowledge about bike part compatibility and recently finished a […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator In this month’s Volunteer Spotlight we’re highlighting the stellar volunteers who join us, behind the scenes, as members of the Community Connections Committee. The Community Connections Committee puts the fun in FUNdraising. They help us in all of our grassroots fundraising efforts – from organizing bake sales to […]
Something has been happening at the shop on Tuesday Nights over the last few months: raw energy and enthusiasm for anything and everything bikes. What, might you ask, is the source? Kevin and two of our youngest volunteers, Nash and Owen! Since early this year, Kevin has been volunteering with us and bringing with him […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator With his one year volunteer anniversary coming up, Noah has easily become a familiar face to Tuesday Drop-In Nights and has met any challenge we’ve thrown his way. He has the capacity to find humor in anything, and we appreciate that! Noah learns quickly, listens, and is excited […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator Alicia has had a long and committed history with us as a volunteer. Her work as Policy Intern in 2009 yielded a collaborative advocacy plan that continues to guide our work within affordable housing communities. In our ongoing community programs, Alicia helps facilitate Create a Commuter workshops, lends […]
By Lara Sheets, Program Support Specialist On Thursday, May 17th, 32 volunteers from Wieden + Kennedy pulled up to our shop on a warm, sunny day in a bright yellow school bus. They arrived eager and excited to get their hands dirty painting and cleaning 17 kids bikes for our annual Holiday Bike Drive. After […]
By Noel Mickelberry, Development Coordinator Last week, I attended my first volunteer orientation on Tuesday night. Along with getting to see the great new faces interested in joining our volunteer team, I got to chat with several current volunteers about some of the special projects they are tackling in our bike shop. It is because […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Jerome brightens our days with his boisterous, energetic personality ever since he joined our volunteer program last Fall. He has become a mainstay at both Sunday Recycling and Tuesday Drop-in nights and a strong addition to our growing Outreach Educator volunteer team, supporting community outreach events around the […]
By: Noel Mickelberry, Development Coordinator When a group of 15 smiling employees from The Standard rolled up to the Community Cycling Center on a sunny Friday afternoon, I knew we were in for a treat. The Standard participates in a volunteer group every year, while also matching their time with a generous donation to help […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator We know Lucas is in the building because somewhere nearby there is laughter. Wherever we find him, he is all energy and enthusiasm; his positivity is infectious. Over the years, Lucas has helped on Tuesday Drop-in Nights, as a Certified Holiday Bike Drive Mechanic. But that is just […]
By Britt Appleton, Social Media Specialist In January we wrote about one of our volunteers, Ashley Haire. When we met Ashley she was new to fixing bikes. She said in the Volunteer Spotlight that she could “sort of change a bike tire.” Ashley threw herself into our volunteer program and before long she became a […]
By Britt Appleton, Social Media Specialist One of the many ways you can volunteer with the Community Cycling Center is by organizing a volunteer group with your coworkers and coming to our bike shop to clean bikes. When a bike is donated, it is usually in a pretty rough state. A thorough cleaning is the […]
By Kim Whitney, Youth Program Manager For the last two years, Claire Fitzgerald rode with us in our Urban Riders and Advanced Riders bike camps, learning how to ride up and down hills safely, while exploring destinations far beyond NE Portland. When she wasn’t climbing multiple hills in a day with other teens, she spent […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Derek joined us as a volunteer less than a year ago and he’s made a big impact on our programs in that short time. He started as a Tuesday Drop-in volunteer, quickly moved through the Holiday Bike Drive certification process to become a Guest Mechanic and can now […]
By Randi Orth, Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Puanani and Pau are a mother-son power duo that started volunteering with us in June of 2011. …
By Brian Benson, Community Engagement Director
On Tuesday, January 31st, over 60 volunteers and staff came together in the bike shop to celebrat…
Last Friday, 13 volunteers from Hands on Greater Portland scrubbed, "flossed" and polished 17 kids bikes, while laughing, smiling and marveling at …
Ashley began volunteering with us just six months ago, but it seems like she’s been around forever. She quickly and enthusiastically learned how to…
The orange Huffy may not have been noticed amidst the sea of kids bikes in the atrium of Legacy Emanuel Hospital at the 2011 Holiday Bike Drive, bu…
By Alison Graves, Executive Director
It should come as no surprise to learn that dentists are experts at cleaning bicycles. Their enthusiasm for…
For over a decade, the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club has generously and enthusiastically supported the Community Cycling Center. Every winter, the…
From the day the Community Cycling Center opened its doors, the Bike Gallery has been a huge supporter of our work.
Seventeen years ago, a Bike …
Every year, we engage volunteer groups from over twenty area businesses in cleaning bicycles destined for the Holiday Bike Drive. It’s an energetic…
It’s hard to believe that Jim only began volunteering with us in early February of this year – he has spent so much time with us this year that it …
We’re so fortunate to have a broad base of business supporters in the Portland Metro Area, and for the past decade Intel has been one of the most l…
Minott joined our volunteer program in early 2010 and quickly became a fixture at our Tuesday Drop-In Nights. He quickly mastered the fine art of r…
Earlier this year, we began to realize that many of our dedicated volunteers who had been working on bikes for the Holiday Bike Drive wanted to mov…
1. How long have you been volunteering at the Community Cycling Center? How did you start?
I came to Volunteer Orientation in August of 2009.
…
Dave has been volunteering with us since the last millennium. He started out cleaning bikes, decided to try his hand at repair, and soon became a f…
Virginia joined the Tuesday Drop-In crew in November of 2009, and has barely missed a night since. She patiently gleaned tricks and techniques from…
Joe is the Community Cycling Center’s unofficial oral historian. He has been volunteering with us for nearly a decade, a longer tenure than any cur…
One day last fall, Quin showed up at our shop. Then he came by the next day. And the day after that, and almost every day since. From the first tim…
During the month of February, a veritable army of supporters generously offered their skills and enthusiasm to help us completely transform our bik…
Michael Mode began volunteering with us in early 2010, and ever since he has been a mainstay at Tuesday Drop-In Night. A talented mechanic and …
On Tuesday, January 25th, over 70 volunteers and staff came together in the bike shop to celebrate another incredible year in our volunteer program…
On the very first day she volunteered with us, way back in April of 2009, Kristin ended up not only doing a million things – from fitting helme…
Please join us in a hearty "Hello! Hi! Welcome!" to our three new board members, Olivia Rebanal, Tom Gainer, and Jennifer Pratt. These three dedica…
Over the course of his four years volunteering with us, Chad has done a little bit of everything. He’s refurbished bikes at Drop-In Night, helped…
Leah started volunteering with us in May of 2009, and soon became a regular at Tuesday Drop-In Nights. Over the intervening months, she picked up s…
For our Youth Programs team, Bike Camp just wouldn’t be Bike Camp without Emerson. As a camper, he has been both amazing with the other kids and ex…
For the last year, Kit has been bringing his creative genius and love for reuse to our volunteer program. A gifted metalworker and polo bike builde…
Leila started volunteering in February of 2008 and over the past two years has become a consistent, dynamic presence. She is a fixture at our Tues…
Joel began volunteering in February of 2009 and has donated his time and myriad skills ever since. Joel regularly came in to wrench at Tuesday Drop…
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 …
Ben began his internship here last fall, working with the Community and Programs team to help organize registration for the Holiday Bike Drive. Ove…
In early 2009, Connie White took her first Bike Maintenance Class at our shop. In the year that followed, she progressed through all of our classes…
Leah has been volunteering since August of 2008, when she first came to town to visit her brother Brian, our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator. Sh…
It takes a community to create the magic of Holiday Bike Drive. This winter, we are featuring profiles of community members who are pitching in to …
You can often catch Bob working on Holiday Bike Drive bicycles at the shop on weekday afternoons, wrenching away and trading smiles and stories wit…
Curt became involved with the Community Cycling Center through the Sunset Community Bike Fair, an annual event that provides bikes, helmets and saf…
Please join us in welcoming three new Community Cycling Center board members: Wendy Lear, Kathryn Sofich, and Sarah Bailen Smith. These bicycling a…
Joseph joined us this spring, and over the past few months has given over 70 hours while bringing an enthusiastic, thoughtful energy to our volunte…
Since the beginning of June, Sarah Freeman has donated over 200 hours as our Bike Camp Intern. Not only has Sarah excelled in this role – helping …
Since last year, Reid Lustig has been sharing his mechanical wizardry and infectious enthusiasm with the Community Cycling Center. In June, he dona…
Joseph came by a Drop-In Night last October and has been contributing his skills and creativity ever since. He brings such positive energy to our T…
Todd Roll began volunteering with our Create a Commuter program in 2008. He initially stepped in to assist our instructors during the five-hour wor…
Lelainya started volunteering in September 2008, and has been a fixture at Tuesday Drop-In Nights ever since. She wrenched on dozens of bikes for a…
Name: Randi Orth
How long have you been volunteering at the Community Cycling Center? How did you start?
I’ve been volunteering for over a ye…
On the evening of February 10th, friends, staff members, and volunteers gathered at the bike shop to celebrate the Community Cycling Center’s amazi…
Our volunteer program is the best in town, and keeps our hard-working, fun-loving volunteers coming back year after year.
We offer drop-in vo…
We are delighted to announce the addition of two new members to our Board of Directors: James Coon and Daniel Kaempff.
Jim Coon, a "die-hard," y…
On Sunday, May 4th, the Community Cycling Center volunteer programs were highlighted as part of "Oregon’s volunteer revolution" in a front-page s…
As part of the Volunteer Appreciation party last night, the Community Cycling Center held its own awards ceremony for all the great volunteers who …
The Community Cycling Center is happy to announce Augusto Carneiro and Tom Ralley as our newest Board Members.
Augusto Cameriro loves bikes, “…
Dave McQuery is a familiar face around the Community Cycling Center. Whether he’s building up Create a Commuter bikes, supervising voluntee…