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 Community Cycles has many volunteer opportunities for you to help get bicycles out of the waste stream, teach bike mechanics, and encourage bike commuting and recreation. Some require bike mechanic skills, but many do not. If you have experience working with bikes, you can teach others doing our Earn-A-Bike program. Even knowing how to change a flat tire is enough to teach others and help us out with this program.
If you have no experience working with bikes, you can learn more at our classes and workshops or come to a New Donations training to learn more. You can also come to a Greeter training to learn how to help out in our front office and help with customer service.
If you have additional expertise, e.g. in electricity, accounting, or web design, we would be happy to accept your services, especially for particular projects. Let us know how you can help!
Get Plugged In
Although we appreciate all help, we usually do not allow drop-in volunteering. Because of the high cost of training volunteers, we ask that you commit to one three-hour shift per week and require that all volunteers schedule in advance.
We use a volunteer scheduling system called Volgistics that allows you to manage your Community Cycles schedule directly from most web browsers. Get started by telling us about yourself by filling out one of the following forms:
NOTE: These are NOT signup forms for the earn-a-bike program.
Fill this out if you have bike mechanic experience and would like to help out at the main shop for at least one shift per week
Fill this out if you'd like to help with other skills
Facilitators
Shop facilitators are the lifeblood of Community Cycles' bicycle shop. Much of the facilitator's job is helping our clients understand shop layout, policies and procedures. Some of our best facilitators have learned all the bike mechanic skills they have by being in our shop and doing non-skilled tasks. Facilitators do not need to be expert mechanics, but some knowledge of the way a bike works, the parts that make up a bike, and the way the systems of a bike work together are necessary. Bike mechanics classes and training are available to help bring our non-mechanically inclined brothers and sisters up to speed.
What does it mean to be a facilitator?
- go through facilitator trainings or shadow for each of the four main shop positions
- have a regular shift
- be scheduled
- fulfill a role (greeter, instructor, wheels, new donations, tune-ups/sales)
roles are tied to locations
- represent CC (knowing about programs, memberships, info on website)
Our Expectations
- Arrive on time
- Be present in your job role
- Know the names of the people you're working with
- Never take tools from EABers hands
- Communicate with other facilitators and staff at shift change
- Remove yourself from the schedule if you cannot make your shift (or call in for the same day)
- Attend monthly facilitator meetings
Facilitator Positions:
How to become a facilitator
You must
- Come to a training for or shadow one shift in each of the following facilitator positions: Greeter, EAB/customers/members, and New Donations. There are separate processes for working in the other positions.
- Sign up for a regular shift that works for you in your preferred assignment(s). Ask the shop manager what days/assignments are currently in need.
* Facilitators interested in teaching a class or workshop should propose their idea (including the topic, tentative dates, and publicity plan) to the Executive Director and complete the online form here: http://www.communitycycles.org/index.php?option=com_rsform&formId=48
** Facilitators interested in volunteering as a mechanic working on tune-ups and sale bikes should speak to the Head Mechanic.
*** Facilitators interested in Advocacy assignments should contact the Advocacy Director.
**** Special events and information on how to volunteer for these events will be announced via monthly volunteer meetings and on our website
Greeter
Time Commitment :
- One 3-hour shift per week
Reports to : Shop manager
Works with : Other greeters, including Earn-A-Bike participants
Description of role : Greeters are the face of the Community Cycles organization. Greeters are responsible for running the front desk, doing office tasks, and providing customer service. A large part of this job is being able to direct customers to the right person, webpage, or form.
Primary duties include :
- Greeting customers/volunteers/Earn-a-Bikers as they come in the shop
- Ensuring that all volunteers, members, and clients have checked in at the front desk (and are wearing buttons)
- Answering the phones
- Answering questions of shop guests
- Routing questions to the appropriate person
- Accepting donations
- After appropriate training, working the cash register
- After appropriate training, scheduling volunteers on Volgistics
Secondary duties include :
- Data entry
- Posting ads to Craigslist
- Delegating tasks for volunteers and clients to perform
- Returning emails
- Returning voicemail messages, taking and routing messages
Skills Required :
- Comfort with answering phone (we'll teach you the answers to our most frequently asked questions...)
- Ability to work well with others
- Ability to communicate with other members of staff, public
- Spanish speaking a definite plus, but not mandatory
Instructor—New Donations
Time Commitment :
- One 3-hour shift per week
Reports to : Shop manager
Works with : Earn-A-Bike participants
Description of role : New Donations instructors teach aspects of bike maintenance to Earn-A-Bike participants. They delegate unskilled tasks like part sorting, parts cleaning, stripping bikes, and processing new donations. They also teach lessons on bike maintenance, usually beginning with dirty drivetrain cleaning.
Primary duties include :
- Teaching earn-a-bikers working toward their fifteen hours some aspects of bike mechanics/maintenance
- Processing new donations by flattening the bikes, tagging the bikes, tallying the donated bikes, and directing the donor to the front desk for a tax receipt
- Overseeing unskilled or novice preparation of bikes for the showroom (e.g. pumping up tires, lubing chains, replacing brake pads, replacing tires, replacing cables)
Secondary duties include :
- Upkeep and organization of the tools and pegboards
- Delegating daily tasks and closing chores to earn-a-bikers
- Bringing all bikes inside and closing the south shop at the end of the day
Skills Required :
- General knowledge of shop policies and procedures
- Intermediate to advanced mechanical skills
Instructor—Wheels
Time Commitment :
- One, 3 hour shift per week
Reports to : Shop manager
Works with : Earn-A-Bike participants
Description of role : Wheel instructors are just like New Donations instructors, but focused on wheels and hubs.
Primary duties include :
- Teaching clients, members, and volunteers various aspects of wheels including: truing, dish, overhauling hubs, spokes, and wheel building
- Upkeep and organization of truing station supplies and tools
- Making sure all wheels that get hung on hooks are trued and greased, starting with wheels in the showroom
Secondary duties include :
- Making sure all donated bikes have wheels
- Making sure all wheels are sorted to the correct location by size
Skills Required :
- General knowledge of shop policies and procedures
- Intermediate to advanced mechanical skills and strong knowledge of wheels
Instructor—EAB/Members/Customers
Time Commitment :
- One 3-hour shift per week
Reports to : Shop manager
Works with : Earn-A-Bike participants, members, and customers
Description of role : Instructors help people who are working on their own bikes and customers looking for bikes or parts. Instructors should have strong knowledge of bike maintenance and be able to teach others.
Primary duties include :
- Assisting earn-a-bikers who are working on their own bikes
- Have bikes ready for earn-a-bikers working on their own bikes
- Assisting members who are working on their own bikes
- Assisting customers interested in purchasing bikes/parts
Secondary duties include :
- Pricing and displaying parts and accessories
- Upkeep and organization of tools and pegboards
- Delegating daily tasks and closing chores to earn-a-bikers
Skills Required :
- General knowledge of shop policies and procedures
- Intermediate to advanced mechanical skills
- Understanding of bike fit
Instructor—Teacher
Time Commitment :
- Varies, commonly a 1-2 hour workshop or 6 weekly 2-hour session classes
Reports to : Executive director
Works with : Class/workshop students
Description of role : Teachers help us run our classes and workshops, teaching a variety of topics based on their interest and expertise. Teachers may receive monetary compensation
Primary duties include :
- Planning and developing a curriculum for the class to be taught
- Teaching the class or workshop
Secondary duties include :
- Setting up the classroom with tables, chairs, and materials
- Publicizing the class or workshop
- Encouraging class participants to become members
Skills Required :
- General knowledge of shop policies and procedures
- Intermediate to advanced mechanical skills
- Understanding of bike fit
- Expertise in the subject being taught
- Experience/comfort with teaching and public speaking
Instructor—Youth Earn-A-Bike
How to become a Youth Earn-A-Bike Instructor
- Have a brief interview with the Youth Program Director.
- Successfully pass a background check (bring ID to interview).
- Shadow one six-week session
Time Commitment :
- 2 hours/week for six weeks
Reports to : Youth programs director
Works with : Youth students
Description of role : Youth Earn-A-Bike Instructors work with youth to refurbish bicycles, teaching them bike mechanics and maintenance.
Primary duties include :
- Working with and teaching children/teens basic bike mechanics such as bottom bracket overhaul, cable and housing installation, and maintenance of crankset, brakes, handlebars, and saddle
Secondary duties include :
- Assisting with planning and development of a curriculum for the classHelping with setup and cleanup of the shop before and after class
- Assisting with publicizing the class
Skills Required :
- General knowledge of shop policies and procedures
- Intermediate to advanced mechanical skills
- Experience/comfort with teaching children and adolescents
- Patience and the ability to work with a group of youths with varying skill-, interest-, and ability-levels simultaneously.
Mechanic—Tune Ups/Sale Bikes
Time Commitment :
- One 3-hour shift per week
Reports to : Head mechanic
Works with : Head mechanic
Description of role : Mechanics help perform tune-ups on customer bikes and refurbish bikes for sale. There are shifts during open hours and hours not open to the public.
Primary duties include :
- Building sale bikes to be sold in the showroom
- Performing customer tune-ups and work orders, both drop-offs or
- Ensuring that each bike being sold has received a safety check and a test ride (and is properly stickered)
Secondary duties include :
- Pricing bikes, wheels, and parts
- During open shop hours, assisting customers with specialized questions
- Upkeep and organization of tools and pegboards, including the specialty tool board
Skills Required :
- Advanced bike mechanics skills
- General knowledge of shop policies and procedures
- Understanding of bike fit
Naropa Bike Shack Mechanic
Time Commitment:
- 3-6 hours per week, 4 month commitment
Reports to: Bike Shack Manager
Works with : work study students, CC facilitators, earn-a-bike participants, bike shack patrons
Description of role : The Bike Shack Mechanics helps operate the on-campus bike library at Naropa University. They tune and repair bikes for use by students, staff, faculty, and guests. They also offer parts and service for sale and are responsible for checking bikes in and out.
Primary duties include :
- Tune and repair library bikes
- Check bikes in and out of the bike library using our database, Volgistics
- Run the cash register to sell parts and services
- Oversee earn-a-bike participants and delegate tasks for them
Secondary duties include :
- Build new bicycles for the bike library
- Help take recycling and retired bikes to the main shop
- Offer instruction to lesser-skilled mechanics (possibly host workshops)
Skills Required :
- Must go through Naropa Bike Shack training and learn our online database, cash register, and how to check bikes in and out of the library
- It is preferred that you also go through Greeter training at our main shop
- Intermediate to advanced mechanic skills
- Timeliness and reliability
- Comfort with working alone and with others
Other ways to get involved:
Keep in Touch
Once a month we send out an email newsletter with a review of the past month and listings of upcoming events. Keep up to speed and subscribe today.
Participate
Community Cycles is constantly putting on workshops, classes, service days and other special events both in and out of the shop. Keep up to speed with our events calendar.
Become a member
Community Cycles needs financial support to run all of its programs, and any donation you can give will help us get more people on bikes. Become a member and take a look
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