A Message from the Outreach Coordinator

This is personal. Let's just get that out of the way at the start. My name is Yvette and I am the Outreach Coordinator at BfW; I'm the one scheduling all the groups. We can't always share all the photos and stories from our school groups because of privacy reasons, but I want you to know the team at Bikes for the World (staff and mentors alike) deserve a shout out. Our work with students is something that is important to all of us and we all step up when a school group visits- no matter what other work needs done.

Let me start you with a few numbers. What I tell students when they visit the warehouse for the first time is that Bikes for the World 'does' about 12,000 bikes a year. Quick math tells you that's 1,000 bikes donated a month, I say. But it's really not. Some months are busier than others. May is Bike Month and April Earth Month. These are our two busiest months, which inevitably spills into June.

What does that mean? Well, let's just look at a 22 day block of time. April 29 - May 20; three weeks. In that time period we will have supported 15 collection events and loaded four containers. That's 2,000 bikes in three weeks, clearly 'quick math' isn't always accurate.

We expect to bring in about 500 bikes this weekend. Those will be collected at community led collection events from Western Maryland to Richmond. And they will fill the container loaded on Tuesday May 20th. We will be ready to ship again as soon as we close the container door.

I said all that to say, BfW is a staff of three employees. Three. We are driving trucks, picking up bikes, scheduling shipments, working with overseas partners, maintaining online information, working with volunteers, and loading containers. It's a lot. During this time of the year we are working seven days a week and trying to cover each other so we actually get some time off.

Three employees. In three weeks? So how does all that work get accomplished? YOU! This is a volunteer driven organization hands down. Looking back over that same three week period we counted on over 300 volunteers to accomplish all that good work. In addition to the groups covering collection events remotely, we also paired up with 12 groups in the warehouse, some corporate, most school groups.

No matter what the day throws at us, we step up to the challenge. What I saw this past week is a source of great pride. We weren't focused on what we needed to accomplish, we knew we would get it done. We focused on the other half of our mission, which is to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to our community. And when school groups call, we try to squeeze them all in.

When a school group visits the warehouse, we want to keep the students safe, engaged, and continually doing or learning. The challenge for us is meeting each and every student where they are. Not every school brings us the same student and not every student brings the same ability. Our goal is to provide an experience for every student that gives them a chance to work collaboratively in an inclusive environment- where they face challenges, celebrate successes, and find their strengths and abilities.

In just the past week, we welcomed two groups back to back on the same day, while simultaneously finishing a container. One day we welcomed over 30 fourth grade girls. One group demanded more time and attention because of their unique and diverse learning styles. Finding a way to communicate on a level that meets each students' quirks takes patience and flexibility and our team is constantly adapting to meet those needs.

When kids come in with their class they often work as a team. It's not something we always see when they come in alone to volunteer or even with their families. When they are with their peers there's a lot more collaboration. It's definitely cool to watch them explore solutions to problems they encounter with the bikes.

It's important to me to explain to a student what they are expected to do and I try to give them the best way to achieve that goal, but then I step back and let them do it. And sometimes that's all it takes. And sometimes not. I will let them struggle or fail as they work through the process. Sometimes they get it. Sometimes a classmate will step in and help. Sometimes I'll offer a suggestion on what to do differently, but it's important that I always let them do it. This isn't always something they get with a parent or older sibling who may bail them out entirely. What I tend to see is them learning to figure it out on their own and they start to gain confidence.

What we are asking them to do is something they've likely never done before. Some have never worked with tools or touched parts on a bike. When I was their age if it was something that was hard I would have put the wrench down and quit. But these kids are figuring it out. When they face problems or obstacles they figure out a path around them. Sometimes we step in and offer a solution, like turning the wrench a certain way or using a cheater bar for leverage. We rarely take the tool away and do it for them. Because when they try a different way and succeed they are learning that they CAN do it.

Some of the comments I heard from students this week were:

"We are going to need all hands on deck"

"How does a zip tie work"

"That flag is Madagascar."

"I'm getting the hang of the tools!"

"I'm doing work!"

"I did that one all by myself!"

It's rewarding to us to work with kids of every ability especially when we get to watch them 'get it'. During these busy weeks I've watched the staff put aside the stress of not being able to get everything done. We struggle through long days and weeks to be vibrant allies to some of our more challenged volunteers. Because when we see their confidence growing while they are in the shop it's pretty cool to be part of that process. Whether they are upset about getting their hands dirty or mad about a wrench slipping off a bottom bracket our goal is to pivot and help them help us because in the end they always do.