About Gearin’ Up
Bicycles
Established in 2013,
as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community used bicycle program, Gearin’ Up
Bicycles is the only used bicycle shop in Washington D.C. But wait...there's more, Gearin’ Up Bicycles
features a workforce development program- employing teens from underserved
communities- and the District's only Earn-A-Bike program. After a over a year of searching for a home,
we finally found a great space on Bladensburg Road in Northeast D.C. Now, we need your help raising money for the
start-up costs including workbenches, tools, insurance, signage, etc.
Though $10,000 may seem like a lot of money, we are operating on a shoestring budget and need to reach our fundraising goal. Please help
us serve our community by donating to the Gearin’ Up Bicycles campaign.
What We Need &
What You Get
We have an awesome
space and a multitude of bikes, but we need YOUR help setting up our shop! To get our space ready, we need $10,000 for capital and overhead costs associated with getting our space ready for our Earn-A-Bike and Workforce
Development programs. Your donation will
allow us to establish successful programs and get the funding mechanisms in place which will sustain us in the future. We have great perks in exchange
for your contribution including koozies, pint glasses and T-shirts- all
featuring the Gearin' Up logo. At higher-donation levels you can even receive a
CUSTOM Gearin' Up bike!!
The Impact
Over the last few
years, the D.C. bicycling culture and community has grown tremendously, but
there is still no place in D.C. to purchase a used bike (besides Craigslist,
etc.) and no Earn-A-Bike program for youth. With the number of individuals
riding bikes growing each year, we believe Washington D.C. needs both of these.
To this end, in 2014 we plan to graduate more than 100 youth and young adults from our Earn-a-Bike
programs and thoroughly train and employ at least 5 teens from underserved communities in our shop.
Our programs will serve the youth, teens and cyclists of all ages and
backgrounds and our new space will allow us to continue to grow and expand our
programs and services year after year.
Gearin’ Up Bicycles also provides a
valuable outlet for reusing and recycling old bicycles rather than sending them
to the landfill. We minimize waste by repurposing parts that cannot be used
into work stands, bike art, and jewelry, for example. What we cannot use, we
recycle.
Other Ways You Can
Help
We will need lots
of volunteers when we open this Spring. If you have bicycle mechanic skills or
just interested in learning more and helping, we invite you to contact us. We are also planning several exciting
fundraising events throughout this year and gladly welcome prize donations that
we can raffle at these events. If you would like to donate a prize, please
email us at KatieLupo@gearinupbicycles.com. Also, be sure to share our campaign and “Like”
our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/GearinUpBicycles
