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Summer Job Training Program Underway in LIC
Do you remember your first summer job? For 16 kids
this summer, Recycle-A-Bicycle is their first real employment
experience. In our LIC space, we host participants from the NYC Summer Youth Employment Program. This city funded initiative pays for high
school age youth to have a structured work experience while receiving supplemental education and life skills training. Students are referred by
various community organizations such as Jacob Riis Settlement, Henry Street Settlement, St. Nicolas and Catholic Charities. They learn
basic bike mechanics, bike safety rules, and retail/ customer service skills with us for a seven week period. They are also given the
opportunity to volunteer at community events and thus earn hours towards receiving a free bicycle that they will then refurbish themselves.
Thanks
to your financial support, we tripled our enrollment this summer!
We caught up with a team hard at work refurbishing a bike. When asked what surprised him the most, Jonathan replied, "I didn't realize how
simple yet complicated a bike can be." His teammate Gina had grown up with her Dad who rode and fixed his own bikes. "Yeah, now I look at
my own bike and realize what more I can do with it to take better care of it." When asked if if he looked at new bicycles differently, Oscar
reflected and then said, "You know an old bike has been through a lot. You don't know what a new bike is capable of."
Their final project? A bike sale! Participants will refurbish bikes
for adults and children and learn about sizing and
pricing
them. They will conduct all aspects of the sale- from advertising in the neighborhood to greeting and helping customers. This will be our
second season to offer this one day sale directly out of our LIC location. All bicycles will be certified by a mechanic and come with our 30 day warranty that will be honored at either of
our
retail stores. Come check it out!
Second Annual SYEP Bike Sale
Wednesday, August 6
4-8pm
46th Avenue at 5th Street, LIC
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Summer Ride Club
July 25 was the third ride of the summer season.
The group had been training for uphill cycling on their previous two rides. Ready, set,
go! They took the
subway to the George Washington Bridge and then rode as a
group of 25 (in beautiful single file) through Englewood, Closter,
Orangeburg and into Piermont. They enjoyed a great lunch overlooking the Hudson
River with a view of Westchester. It was only then that the
riders realized that
the big hills they rode down to get into Piermont were exactly the big hills they would have to climb to get back out again!
While a few riders decided to make use of the SAG wagon, most
completed the entire hilly 35 miles, including our youngest rider, 9 year old Maya.
Vital Stats:
Route: 35 miles, climbing 1757
vertical feet
Lunch: 7 pizzas, and 26 scoops of ice cream
As always, a special thank you to our sponsors: Bike NY, FUJI America, NY Cycle Club and Woodhull Medical Center.
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Upcoming Events
Due to summer vacations, our regular schedule for Volunteer Mechanic Nights will
change as follows. Ladies Night and Volunteer Night will be held together on August 6 and August 20 at 7pm in DUMBO. There
will be no Ladies Night or Volunteer Night the week of August 11-15. We will be back on our normal schedule the week of August 25-29.
Please call
718-858-2972 for more schedule information.
For three Saturdays this August, take pleasure in nearly 7
miles of car-free
streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park. Play! Run! Walk! Bike! Breathe!... Click NYC
SUMMER
STREETS to learn more about route, program offerings and ways you can get more involved as a volunteer.
When: August 9th, 16th and 23rd from 7am -
1pm
Where: Lafayette
Street - 4th Avenue
- Park Avenue - 72nd Street
- Central Park, with
connections to Harlem and the West Side
Greenway
Look for some of our youth interns at the repair station at Park Ave in the 50's...
Please click
here
to learn more about how you can support our work.
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DUMBO (Main Office) 718-858-2972 :: 35 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
East Village 212-475-1655 :: 75 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009 |
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