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Kid Bike Program Wrap-Up

Man and woman next to a truck full of bicycles
Larry Williamson, Kid Bike Program Coordinator, with his wife, Jean.

By Larry Williamson, Sharing Wheels Volunteer Extraordinare

Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop in Everett recently completed its final kids’ bike project for 2024 and recaps its kids’ program for the year…

The shop donated 155 bikes refurbished with 640 hours of volunteer labor over 30 work parties, mostly 3 hours each, with each party prepping 5 bikes on average! Bikes were in all kids’ sizes as well as a few adult sizes for bigger kids.

Sharing Wheels hosted 2 series of work parties – 12 in the Spring and 18 in the Fall. Most were evening events, but 3 were on Fall Sundays, generously run by these groups:

  • Boy Scouts of America Troop 91 in Silver Firs
  • Cascade Bike Club NERDS Riders
  • North Bend Mountain Bikers

Partner nonprofits

The 51 Spring bikes were provided to these organizations to give out to their clients:

The 104 Fall bikes were all delivered to Christmas House in Everett, now in its 44th year providing holiday gifts to low-income youth up through age eighteen in Snohomish County. This year Christmas House gave out more than 51,000 gifts to above 8,000 kids in nearly 3,000 families!

Sharing Wheels, now in its 22nd year, has partnered with Christmas House since early in our history. Financial constraints led to a decision by Christmas House to not purchase bikes this year, making the donated bikes from Sharing Wheels and others all the more important this season!

So many people to thank

I thank the many people of various talents contributing time and effort to make this 2024 program successful!…

  • The Stillaguamish Tribe for their financial support.
  • The Sharing Wheels Board of Directors for their financial assistance to the program. Also, five board members for their individual contributions:
    • Claudia Douglass for ongoing help at evening work parties with hosting and bike mechanics.
    • Steve Erickson for mechanics work in the shop and at work parties.
    • Kristin Kinnamon for program communications support.
    • Colleen Norcott for work party help.
    • Lou Rivetti for assistance at work parties as mechanical expert support.
  • The Sharing Wheels Staff, all of whom had some involvement with the kids’ program, here highlighting several who made crucial contributions to the projects:
    • Christy Cowley, Executive Director Emeritus, contributing to several areas. Most importantly, Christy communicated throughout the year with participants to make the program a success. Christy announced the projects, identified groups to receive SW bikes, encouraged volunteers to sign up for work parties, took follow-on action when sufficient sign-ups did not materialize, etc. Christy Cowley has been a most effective director these past five years and leaves big shoes to fill for our next executive director. Thanks, Christy, for your legacy to us!
    • Staff mechanics Andrew Longstreet and Eric Andryc for providing great mechanical expertise at all work parties.
  • Tony Simonelli, long-time volunteer, for hosting half of the evening work parties.
  • Ion V and Luke A for hosting the three Sunday afternoon Fall work parties.
  • Mark D for help moving bikes – seven pickup truck loads – from storage to Christmas House.
  • Owner Steve D at Recycled Cycles (U District Seattle) and Shop Manager Bryce L at 2nd Cycle (Tacoma) for each providing a full truckload of used bikes for use in our program, in addition to individual donations.
  • Special shoutout to Trek Bicycle Redmond.  Service Manager Andrew M donated traded-in Trek bikes with little wear, in super condition and great value to our program throughout the year.  The Trek donations made it easier to prepare enough bikes to meet our goal target and made for beautiful gifts for the kids.
  • Christmas House President Gregg M and our landlord Ted S for donating storage space to hold completed bikes pending delivery to Christmas House.
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes in Mill Creek for donating scores of bundt cakes for the work parties and 55 cakes for Sharing Wheels’ holiday celebration.
  • In addition to regular work in the shop, these volunteers worked at the evening and Sunday work parties:

Aaron T, Alan A, Amy F, Art T, Brice H, Chris H, Chuck H, David Z, Doug O, Ed B, Gordon A, Jake D, James L, Jeff A, Jeff B, Jeff Si, Jeff St, Jerry C, Jesse P, Jesus G, Jill W, Jim H, Joe E, John H, Kelvin A, Kristen C, Lauren U, Lawrence L, Marcus B, Mark G, Mike S, Mike T, Patrick S, Pete P, Phil K, Phillip A, Robert D, Rusty A, Scott K, Sean U, Tania G, Todd R, Vic C, and Will A.

All involved enjoyed the camaraderie at the work parties and the gratification of knowing that our restored bikes would soon be in the hands of local kids, thrilled to be riding their new bikes in their neighborhoods!

We delivered our final batch of 61 bikes to Christmas House on Dec. 17. As this was a significant delivery close to the last shopping day on Dec. 21, I asked a Christmas House director if they would have any trouble giving out these bikes over only four remaining days. His answer: “Not at all! The bikes are taken by parents for their kids immediately when they are set out!” So, Sharing Wheels can be satisfied that it has provided a valued addition to Christmas House for the community.

That director then asked me: “Are you coming back next year?”  Without thinking, I responded: “Totally.”

So, it looks like we will be participating in the kids’ bike program in 2025…

Larry Williamson has coordinated our Kid Bike Program as a volunteer for many years. In addition to co-hosting kid bike work parties, he orders replacement parts, tracks down and delivers bikes, picks up bundt cakes, and “other duties as required” – including compiling this summary. We are grateful for his innumerable contributions. Larry is pictured with his wife Jean – who also supports Sharing Wheels.

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Donations News Volunteers

Recovery & Bikes

Written by Ed Roos, Sharing Wheels Shop Manager

Sharing Wheels is a community-driven organization that has been transforming lives in Snohomish County for 22 years by offering people the opportunity to earn and fix their bikes for free. These bikes are essential in helping individuals commute to work, school, and appointments, improving their overall quality of life.

Kenny’s story is a testament to the impact of our Community Earn-a-Bike program. Having experienced homelessness and unstable housing since 2014, Kenny found a path to change through his involvement with The Everett Recovery Café. Through his community of other individuals experiencing homelessness and The Recovery Café, he learned about Sharing Wheels and our program to provide bikes to those in need.

Kenny poses for the camera

After celebrating 100 days of sobriety, Kenny received one of our free bike vouchers. Motivated to earn his bike, he visited Sharing Wheels, where he met Ed, our store manager. Despite struggling with neuropathy, which affects his fine motor skills, Kenny was determined to contribute time in the shop and earn his bike. Together with Ed, they developed a plan that suited Kenny’s abilities, allowing him to help with tasks such as sweeping, mopping, and cleaning bikes.

Kenny tidying up with a mop and bucket

After earning his bike, Kenny became a dedicated volunteer at Sharing Wheels. He enjoys being part of a supportive, sober community and is passionate about giving back by helping others. Kenny also trains new volunteers on how to navigate the shop’s processes, demonstrating his commitment to our organization and to our community.

Kenny taking the bikes in at closing.

Thanks to partnerships with local organizations like The Recovery Café and the dedication of people like Kenny, Sharing Wheels continues to help individuals gain access to bikes. Our Community Bike Program is just part of the Sharing Wheels vision of a Snohomish County where anyone can ride, fix or recycle a bicycle. 

Your support ensures that individuals like Kenny can continue to receive a bike, along with the freedom and opportunities that come with it. Together, we can reach our year-end fundraising goal of $20K and help more people ride toward a brighter future. Every dollar you give, up to $9,500, will be matched by our board of directors, who commit both time and money to help fulfill our mission of keeping people and bikes moving.

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Donations kids bikes News Volunteers

Kid Bikes Galore

Summer-time bike rides make for happy kids and lifetime memories. But with rents high and wages low, not every family can afford bikes for their children. 

Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop addresses this problem through our Kids Bike Program. Volunteers refurbish donated bikes each spring, with funding provided by the Stillaguamish Tribe.

A total of 55 bikes for low income families were delivered to partner nonprofits by volunteer program coordinator Larry Williamson. “Many committed volunteers made this season’s project possible,” he said. Almost 200 volunteer hours went into the effort. The partners who will pass the bike on to families are:

  • Refugee & Immigrant Services NW
  • Washington Kids in Transition
  • Domestic Violence Services
  • Saint Vincent de Paul
  • Everett Housing Authority

Sharing Wheels has been committed to getting kids and adults on bikes since the nonprofit started in 2002. The Kids Bike Program continues in the fall, when volunteers prepare bikes for Christmas House. 

Last year, a total of 200 bikes were refurbished and passed on to families.Volunteers support the shop and community outreach year-round. Sales of bikes and used parts support the efforts. To learn more, visit sharingwheels.org

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Donations kids bikes News Volunteers

Thank you for helping us make an impact in 2023!

By Sharing Wheels

This post is to say “Thank You”! Thank you for helping us make Snohomish County a place where anyone can ride, fix or recycle a bicycle. That’s our vision, anyway, and we did a lot to move toward it in 2023.

So far this year we have:

  • Helped 2-3 people every day we’re open, which is 5 days a week, with free Bike Repair Help.
  • Given 46 adults in need a bicycle for transportation.
  • Hosted 34 work parties with between 4 and 6 volunteers each. 54 total volunteers donated 720 hours of time!
  • Refurbished and distributed 181 kid bikes for low income families.
  • Repaired 176 bikes for free at 26 events at local libraries, senior centers, repair cafes, Explorer Middle School and First Baptist Church through our Mobile Bike Repair.
  • Accepted 441 bicycle donations to refurbish or recycle from the community.
  • Sold 283 refurbished bikes to grateful customers.
  • Conducted 18 bike maintenance classes for 35 students.
  • Helped 60 Work 4 Wheels / Bike Voucher Recipients.
  • Hired 2 WorkSource interns.

We couldn’t have done it without your support. Volunteers help staff the shop and fix bikes. Donors give directly and through corporate match programs at Boeing and elsewhere. Customers find the parts they need to keep classic bikes going, and spread the word by telling their friends about our shop and services.

We love bikes and the people who ride them. Thanks for helping us make a difference as the only nonprofit bike shop in Snohomish County. Together we make the world better – one pedal stroke at a time.

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Supporter Profile: Amy Fox

Woman in bike helmet standing on a wooden trestle over river

By Kristin Kinnamon, volunteer

Amy Fox first got connected with Sharing Wheels more than 15 years ago. She had a beloved Bridgestone MB3 mountain bike that she no longer used (after upgrading to a more modern bike).

She donated her classic bike “reluctantly but with great belief that it would find a new home with someone who really needed it.”

“Connecting unused bikes to people who need wheels,” is a big part of what Sharing Wheels does by refurbishing and repurposing donated bikes.

Since her first bike donation, Amy has taken repair classes at Sharing Wheels, volunteered at our Kid Bike Work Parties, and donated her parent’s beloved tandem to the shop.

She and her husband Brice Howard (a former board president of Sharing Wheels) are yearly financial donors to the organization as well.

”I am inspired to provide bikes to children and adults who need them,” she says. She values our programs that help people work on their own bikes, and that support people who need to bike to get around.

Amy has loved biking since she was a kid.  Her first bike was named “Tinkerbell”, complete with a white basket, purple tassels and a white banana seat. Cruising down her dead end street, with tassels dancing from the one speed she went, fast.

After getting in a car crash at age 17, Amy got around solely by bike until she was 25. “Having a bike meant freedom from the anxiety that I had developed around driving a car.  It also gave me more confidence in myself, that I could independently get places, just putting my foot on the pedal and pushing.”

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Donations kids bikes News Volunteers

Kid bikes for the holidays

A big request from us

Larry (right) giving instruction.
Fixing up kid bikes.

As you read this, our Xmas Kid Bike Work Parties will be in full swing. These workshops are something we take a great deal of pride in. Each year, Sharing Wheels refurbishes donated kid bikes to provide to local charities. They then provide them to children whose parents would otherwise not be able to afford a bike. Charities also donate bikes to children of Afghan refugees, and the need is still greater because of the influx of Ukrainian refugees this year.

All of this is to say that the need is great, and we can only do this with the help of people like you. Our needs are twofold: 

  1. We need kid bikes to repair. We are appealing to you for donations of lightly used kid bikes (any size, any brand) to fix up and donate to kids. We’re looking for about 100 total bikes and we could use about 40 more (give or take).
  2. We need volunteers to fix up kid bikes. Volunteers are vital to the operation of our work parties. Kid bikes are comparatively simpler in construction than adult bikes. Therefore, they’re easier to work on and you don’t need much mechanic experience. We can teach you everything you need to know. Also these bikes also need a good cleaning, so you can just do that if you want to! Our work parties are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6pm – 9pm (except Thanksgiving). You can sign up on our calendar page.

In sum, our Xmas Kid Bike Work Parties are an important program for us to recycle kid bikes and get them into the hands of kids who will ride them. And, crucially, it’s important for the kids receiving them. For children of low-income parents, the program is an example of the spirit of the holiday season. For children of refugees, it can serve as an example of the compassion that the people of this country can show to others. In both cases, it’s magical for them.

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Donations kids bikes News Volunteers

Year-End Giving

By Kristin Kinnamon, Board President

Sharing Wheels would not have made it through the COVID challenges of 2020 without a doubling of support from our donors and supporters.

We still need your support. As we enter the winter months, our bike sales slow and our bank account drops. Our budget relies on one thing to maintain our free programs, staff and open shop: You.

You may already be a volunteer, a bike donor, or a customer. We hope you will be a financial donor as well. Give a little if that’s all your budget allows, or give more to help cover for people who can’t donate as much.

Our goal is raising $15,000 to keep people and bikes moving.

All donations made by Dec. 20 will be matched by our board and supporters, so your money goes twice as far.*

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How do your donations impact people’s lives? Bikes bring joy, get people places, develop skills, build community.

“I rode the bike everywhere and every single day, for appointments,  groceries … I came home wet on rainy days, but the fun part – me and my kids love getting wet in rain.” –

Prapti, recipient of a bike and trailer through our Community Bikes program
  • $30 fixes a kids bike – we’re giving away 100+ kids bikes for the holidays
  • $50 covers minor repairs & parts to get someone back on the road
  • $100 gives a Community Bike, lock, lights and helmet to an adult in need
  • $150 sends our Mobile Repair Clinic out to fix bikes for free

We welcome gifts at all levels. The board has also set goals to get

  • 30 gifts of $50
  • 10 past donors to increase their gift to $100

Come by the shop anytime to see your gifts at work. Some of my favorite moments this past year have been watching our customers and clients help each other – like when the homeless guy helped a woman load her new bike in her car as his way of giving back for a free repair, or when amateur mechanics crowd around a bike trying to diagnose a problem.

Your support of Sharing Wheels makes these interactions possible. Thank you for keeping people and bikes moving.

*All gifts up to $7,500 will be matched by additional donations from our supporters. You may also work for a company that does corporate matching, such as Boeing, Microsoft or Salesforce.

See our 2020 Annual Report. Save the date for our Annual Meeting & Elections: Jan. 26 via Zoom.