Sharing Wheels Community Bike ShopOur annual meeting is a chance to celebrate our successes, set goals for the future, and select board members to lead Sharing Wheels in 2023.
Anyone who supports Sharing Wheels is encouraged to attend – volunteers, donors, customers. Dinner will be provided.
Meeting is at Sno Isle Food Coop, 2804 Grand Ave., Everett.
The agenda includes review and adoption of the 2023 budget and board member nominations and election.
Ready for a new challenge in 2023 that will develop your professional skills while helping the community?
If you care about people, affordable and sustainable transportation, and making a difference in your community, consider serving on the Sharing Wheels board of directors.
It’s an exciting time to be part of our 20-year-old nonprofit. Right now, we seeking candidates for the 2023 election in January who will serve 1 to 3 years. Here’s the board_application (PDF) .
We want Board members who bring a diversity of age, race, cultural background, economic background, and experience, such as:
Board president Kristin Kinnamon is happy to discuss the board role and answer any questions via email, phone, Zoom or by meeting in-person at the shop.
The board meets monthly in downtown Everett – Zooming in is an option. The Board Responsibilities (PDF) document describes the basic expectations of our board, along with links to background documents such as our Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report, Budget, and Board Member Agreement.
By Kristin Kinnamon, Board President
After 15 years in our current location inside the Broadway Mall building, many of us have been excited by the prospect of moving to new space down the hall. Volunteers and staff have spent many hours mapping out how we’d fit bikes, volunteers and services in this more retail-oriented location.
The more serious we got about the move, the more concerned we got that it wasn’t the right fit, period. Our monthly costs would double, easy access to the garage and parking lot would be gone, and our work would still be spread across 3 different rooms.
Ultimately, after reviewing the benefits, downsides, and risks of a move, Executive Director Christy Cowley recommended that we “bloom in place.” It’s a strategy that invests in major improvements, but keeps our focus on accomplishing our mission rather than making rent.
A grant from the City of Everett is expected to help pay for a new see-through garage door and more direct entrance off our back alley.
We’ll work to brighten up the garage so it can be a more welcoming community space. Shop Coordinator Aaron Taht and volunteers continue to organize and reconfigure things inside the shop, with the goal of making more efficient use of space to everyone’s benefit – more work stations for volunteers, parts and tools easier to find, less excess and rarely-used stuff in our main shop (you can help by shopping at our March 26 Garage Sale.)
We are committed to working with our landlord to pursue investments in lighting, plumbing, electrical and other improvements to the shop and garage.
Finally, rather than street-front visibility, we plan to invest in our virtual presence. The goal is getting all our ready-to-ride bikes online with photos and basic information to draw customers into the shop.
Bottom line: Sharing Wheels is moving ahead, but not moving. In addition to “blooming in place,” we are excited to put time and resources into mission-based activities like bike repair clinics in the community, a monthly educational booth at the Everett Farmers Market, and connecting even more bikes to people who need them.
Thanks for your continuing support in our 20th year as a nonprofit.
If you can help, email Executive Director Christy Cowley or call the shop at 425-252-6952.
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.*
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
We welcome gifts at all levels. The board has also set goals to get
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.
Join us at the shop to celebrate another successful year of “keeping people and bikes moving.”
We’ll have hot apple cider, holiday treats and music to get you in the spirit, plus some Sharing Wheels trivia as we kickoff our 20th year.
Drop in anytime during the event. After 6:30 p.m., Santa’s elves will be busy fixing kids bikes – our final push to repair and donate more than 100 bikes to families in need for the holidays.
By Executive Director Christy Cowley
Thanks to our volunteers and community support, Sharing Wheels served a huge need for healthy outdoor activity and affordable, personal transportation in 2020.
We couldn’t create community within our shop due to COVID limitations, so we built bikes and connections in new ways. Volunteers took bikes home to clean and fix. Local nonprofits helped us match bikes with adults and kids who needed them. Our board met monthly via Zoom. Donations of time, bikes and cash kept us rolling despite a difficult year.
Bike Sales: While retail bike shops ran low on inventory, quality donations kept us stocked with a huge variety of bike styles, sizes, and prices. We loved helping new riders buy a bike to fit their needs and budget. 246 bikes.
Kids Bikes: Instead of the annual Kids Bike Swap and Christmas House events, we matched bikes with families directly, and partnered with other nonprofits to distribute bikes to low income kids. 194 bikes.
DIY Shop Use: Our free self-help station was moved out to the garage due to COVID shop limits. That made it harder for people to access our tools and advice. 75% of our 129 users bike for transportation and report low income.
115 people spent 2,615 hours helping in the shop and from their own garages. Boeing, Microsoft, & F5 Networks gave $2,500 to match employee efforts.
Top Volunteers: Larry Williamson, Bruce McLachlin, John Kasey, Don Sperlin, Dave Fox, Claudia Douglass, Patrick Sullivan. More than 100 hours each.
Individual donations doubled this year thanks to spring and year-end campaigns. Donations were needed because shop activity and revenue were reduced due to COVID. 71 people gave $50 or more.
Grants: City of Everett Community Development Block Grant, Everett Port Gardner Rotary, Stillaguamish Tribe.
Repair Classes: We managed to teach several small, in-person bike mechanic classes. We also started mini-courses for mechanical volunteers. 25 students.
Adult Earn-A-Bike: We taught 12 formerly homeless or at-risk adults to fix a flat, gave them a fully-equipped refurbished bike, and took them on their first ride. “This is the best bike I’ve ever owned,” said a grateful 80-year-old recipient.
Velo Art Contest: While most events were canceled, we started something new to put our excess new and used parts to creative use. 6 artists, lots of fun!
Actual income and expenses for 2020.
| Bike Sales | $43,899 |
| Parts Sales | $11,951 |
| Donations | $36,054 |
| Grants | $9,665 |
| Repairs | $3,466 |
| Online Sales | $6,205 |
| Total | $111,790* |
| Staff | $80,895 |
| Bike Parts | $10,680 |
| Rent | $7,850 |
| Insurance, Fees | $4,000 |
| Adminstrative | $4,350 |
| Other Shop Costs | $9,680 |
| Total | $117,455* |
Kristin Kinnamon, President
Steve Erickson, Treasurer
Drew Ellison, Secretary
Claudia Douglass, Member
Bruce McLachlin, Member
Scott Schmitz, in memoriam
Christy Cowley, Executive Director
Alain Warchilde, Shop Manager
The Sharing Wheels Board of Directors generally meets monthly. Meetings are open to the public. Board meetings are usually 6:30-9 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
Due to COVID, meetings are being held via Zoom. If you would like to attend, contact Board President Kristin Kinnamon.