We would like to introduce Ed Roos as our new Shop Manager! Ed started with us on staff right after Labor Day, but he first came to Sharing Wheels as a volunteer during our Holiday Kid Bike Work parties last fall.
He then joined a new volunteer training in January and donated his time in our shop and at outreach events every week since.
Ed has been an urban bike commuter for most of his working life. He has also “biked every nook and cranny of Western Washington”, participating in the STP, The Chilly Hilly, RSVP, The Tri Island and many other bike rides in the area.
His recent professional experience was serving as an elementary school principal in Seattle Public Schools. He has since started an education consulting business, which he’ll continue to do on the side.
Like his predecessor Aaron Taht, a big part of Ed’s job is keeping things organized, keeping volunteers busy on useful projects, and keeping customers happy.
Andrew Longstreet continues as our main bike mechanic. Executive Director Christy Cowley is excited to have Ed on staff as a partner in the growth of Sharing Wheels as an organization.
“His past professional experience of leading teams, developing training programs and improving operational efficiency will serve our organization well as we move forward,” she said.
Join us at the shop to celebrate another successful year of “keeping people and bikes moving.”
Meet shop staff & board members
See the tally of bikes donated and repaired
Tour the shop & get some great gift ideas
Make final bids in our Velo Art auction
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.
Every nonprofit should have a purpose, a problem you are trying to solve. Simply getting bikes is not the problem, for us or our customers. We had more than 300 bikes donated to us last year!
The problem is that bikes need maintenance and repairs. And people don’t have the tools or know-how to fix them. That’s the basis for our new mission statement:
Keeping People and Bikes Moving – with E.A.S.E.
Sharing Wheels Mission
We spell out how we achieve our mission below. To keep focused on it, we hired our first (part-time) executive director at the end of the year. A new shop manager starts in January 2020. But the most important work of Sharing Wheels could not be done without our volunteers.
We couldn’t repair all the bikes, help customers fix their own bikes, or make the impact that we do without dedicated volunteers giving us their time and talents. Volunteers keep bikes affordable, empower people with one-on-one mentoring, learn bike maintenance themselves, and make our nonprofit sustainable. 50 people gave 1,800 hours last year – equal to a full-time staff person.
Empowerment
Open Shop: The tools and bike stands at Sharing Wheels are available for anyone to use, no charge. Free advice is provided by Sharing Wheels staff or experienced volunteers. 4-10 people each week; 73% identify as low income.
Bike Lights: Low income customers who use their bikes for daily transportation can get free front and rear lights. 37 lights installed.
Affordability
Bike & Parts Sales: Sales of refurbished bikes and used parts are the main source of income for Sharing Wheels. We make sure to have bikes at all price points, so everyone can afford a decent ride. 250 bikes sold.
Work for Wheels: Customers without cash can volunteer time in the shop to earn the parts or bike they need to get around. 10 work-tradeparticipants.
Sustainability
Kids Bikes: Volunteers fix used kids bikes each spring and fall for our Kids Bike Swap and Christmas House programs. We add the new parts and elbow grease needed to keep old bikes going for a new generation. 102 bikes went home with kids during our June Bike Swap. 108 bikes donated to Christmas House.
Bikes to Africa: Some bikes that would never sell still have value. We donate excess bicycles to the Village Bike Project and Vision 224. 111 bikes to Africa
Education
Repair Classes: We had only a few formal bike maintenance classes in 2019, but have recommitted to this important part of our mission in 2020.
Events: County Earth Day, Bike Everywhere Day, WSU Repair Cafes, Family Rides in Arlington and Marysville. Riverside Neighborhood National Night Out.
WorkSource Intern: We hosted a young man for 90 hours of job training.
2019 Budget
Adopted budget.
Revenue
Bike Sales
$37,248
Parts Sales
23,580
Donations
$17,400
Grants
$10,500
Classes
$1,472
Total
$96,200
Expenses
Salaries
$55,002
Bike Parts
$14,599
Rent
$10,500
Insurance/Fees
$6,650
Administrative
$2,775
Other Shop
$4,800
Total
$94,236
Grants & In-Kind Support
Nysether Family Foundation – $6,500 grant
BIKES Club of Snohomish County – $2,000 grant
Everett Port Gardner Rotary Club – $1,750 grant
Tulalip Tribes – $1,000 grant
Boeing Employee matching funds – $1,000
Sno-Isle Food CoOp – $917 “register round-up” donation, meeting space
Evergreen Unitarian Universalist Church – $500 donation, group work party
Snohomish Giving Circle – $400 donation
501 Commons – Satterberg Foundation – in-kind support
Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop supports essential transportation for many people who are at risk for severe illness should they contract coronavirus. We benefit from the time and talents of many senior-age volunteers, also considered vulnerable to the virus.
It’s hard to keep a bike shop clean. And it’s hard to help someone fix a bike without getting closer than public health recommends.
In light of these concerns, Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop will be closed to the public starting Wednesday, March 18.
Until then, only four people will be permitted in the shop at one time. That will allow staff, volunteers and customers to maintain social distancing, clean hands, and clean surfaces.
From mid-March to at least early April the shop will remain closed for most retail and DIY operations. Basic tools and a bike stand will be available in the shop garage for people who need to fix their own flat or make a minor adjustment. Customers who want to buy a bike in-person can call the shop to make an appointment at 425-252-6952. We also list higher end bikes and a variety of parts on our eBay store.
Sharing Wheels staff will remain at work: repairing bikes, organizing the shop, managing programs, and posting items for online sales.
Regular volunteers can schedule time to assist in the shop. We will be maintaining a 4-person maximum occupancy of our shop space.
The basic bike repair class scheduled for March 25 is rescheduled to May 13. A plan for the Kids Bike Work Parties scheduled to start in April will be announced at a later date.
I was around when Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop was established in 2002, watching Ron and Kristi offer free bike repairs at the Everett Gospel Mission once a month. I saw the first board president’s garage fill with bikes and parts, and watched our first earn-a-bike kid joyfully ride his new wheels (that he’d fixed himself) down the alley.
We’ve moved to our own shop and a different alley since then, and had many other changes as a nonprofit. But we have remained committed to serving a diverse clientele of people who use and love bicycles.
Just three years ago, we hired our first paid staff. That has helped to triple our revenue. But growth has also increased the complexity and responsibilities of our nonprofit.
After a year-long organizational review, the Sharing Wheels Board of Directors has decided we need more professional leadership than our volunteer board can provide.
It’s time to hire our first ever executive director. The board seeks to hire someone who can implement our new strategic plan, by developing the people (staff and volunteers), place (bike shop), programs (such as classes and work-trade) and procedures that will make us a more effective, mission-driven organization.
The position is part-time because that’s what we can afford. But even so, we believe we can attract someone who wants to make a difference, either early in their career, or as they wind down professional work. The director will be assisted by our shop staff , along with volunteers and a very dedicated board.
Hiring our first executive director is a leap of faith – we can’t fully fund the position with current revenue. But we believe the position is sustainable in the long-term, once we get programs and partnerships established. Meanwhile, we are counting on grants and donations from individual supporters – like the people reading this blog post (you!)
We also need your help spreading the word about this unique job opportunity. The perfect candidate is not necessarily a bike nut or mechanic. They just need to care about sustainable transportation, serving diverse people in need, and partnering with a nonprofit board.
This post is Part 1 of 3 about changes at Sharing Wheels. Part 2 is about our mission. Part 3 is about our shop space.
