Dear Staff Enhancement Grant Committee,
Thank you for awarding me one of the $500 Staff Enhancement Grants – your selection has not only impacted me, but my fellow Red Raccoon Bike Rescue (RRBR) volunteers and the people we assist every day.
Background:
In the summer of 2020, a group of caring bike mechanics came together as a response to a gap in accessible bicycle repair and maintenance caused by the pandemic.
They set up in Victoria Park every Saturday, performing small repairs and maintenance for free.
At a time when so many people were hit the hardest, this valuable resource was needed for underserved community members who may not be able to afford to have their bicycle repaired at a regular bike shop.
It felt good to be helping the community and doing what we love again, fixing bikes. Every mechanic involved in RRBR (formerly Kitchener Bike Rescue) knows the benefit and freedom of a bicycle. From affordable transportation to improved mental and physical health. We want everyone to have that opportunity.
Another benefit we noticed for ourselves and the community was the social aspect of our open-air mechanic service. It was good to connect with people again, even if it had to be at a distance.
Current operations:
The pandemic continued, and so did we! Branching out to St. John’s Kitchen for regular repair drop ins on most Mondays. We offered our services at House of Friendship, and OneRoof. At OneRoof we also taught youth bicycle repair, empowering them to maintain their own bicycles and the bicycles of others.
We love our community, working together, and making positive change in people’s lives. The tools provided by the Staff Enhancement Grant Committee have enabled me and the other RRBR volunteers to have a positive impact on our most needy community members – providing freedom through mobility.
As the summer progresses and we have moved into Phase 3, we have started again and are reaching as many people as possible by growing our volunteer base, hiring summer students, and widening our range to other parts of the Region, like Cambridge.
Tool agreements and scarcity:
As 2021 progressed, one of our main sources for bicycle tools at Recycle Cycles withdrew their tool support as they needed the tools for their own operations. This left RRBR with a critical shortage of tools that was immediately felt. Recycle Cycles agreed to allow RRBR to use their supply network to order necessary tools from bicycle tool/part wholesalers like Cycle Babac (as you can see on the receipt). Despite the focus on events, the volunteers are actively picking up, repairing, and donating/selling bicycles every day on their own time. Most bikes given or purchased by RRBR are then donated to needy community members. If sold, all proceeds from these sales go towards operation costs of RRBR directly (buying tubes, parts, and tools). Having these tools allows volunteers to work on these bikes between events.
- Eric Jardin