2020 has been a year like none other in my lifetime. Fortunately, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison was able to quickly adapt. Our efficiency has made us nimble so we were still able to make our mission possible and give bikes away to those most in need in Dane County.
Thanks to our many volunteers and financial supporters, we were able to serve 33 nonprofits, schools and churches and give away 1,041 bikes in 2020! That means over 1,000 new cyclists on our streets and many of them are first time bike owners. Our volunteers even helped several learn to ride in our parking lot at the giveaways!
Volunteer Jess teaching a new owner how to ride!
In 2020, we did things a bit differently to accommodate low crowd sizes at our giveaways. In a typical year, FB4K Madison would host one large giveaway event where more than 1,500 people descended on our workshop to receive bikes. This year, we hosted four smaller giveaways and delivered bikes in a semi courtesy of Latino Workforce Academy.
Frontline worker excited about her new vintage Free Spirit!
We also worked in one additional giveaway for frontline workers working as grocery clerks, daycare teachers, custodial professionals, delivery drivers, and many entry level positions. Many of these recipients are using their bikes as their primary form of transportation getting to and from work. Recipients included Madison Urban Area Ministry, The Road Home, Nehemiah, YWCA Madison, Literacy Network, The River Food Pantry, Shelter from the Storm, Tenant Resource Center, Luna’s Groceries, and Porchlight.
We cannot do our work without your bike donations, your volunteer hours, and your financial donations. Thank you to all of you who helped support Free Bikes 4 Kidz this year and help us make over 1,000 new bike owners in Dane County! My board and I are popping wheelies in your honor!
2020 SUPPORTING SPONSORS AND GRANTS
2020 BIKE RECIPIENT PARTNERS
- Building Bridges
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Centro Hispano
- City of Madison Community Development
- Dane County Social Services
- Family Stabilization Program
- Latino Workforce Academy
- Literacy Network
- Luna’s Groceries
- Madison Area Urban Ministry
- Nehemiah
- Porchlight
- Reach Dane
- RISE Wisconsin
- River Food Pantry
- Tenant Resource Center
- The Road Home
- Salvation Army
- Shelter from the Storm
- YWCA Madison
2020 SCHOOL RECIPIENTS
- Blackhawk Middle School
- Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School
- Gompers Elementary
- James Madison Memorial School
- Lake View Community School
- Leopold Community School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Mount Horeb School District
- Sennett Middle School
- Winnequah Elementary School
2020 FREE HELMETS RECIPIENTS
Our 2020 bike collection and repair season was cut a bit short due to Covid-19, but we were able to support some additional organizations with free helmets even though we did not have enough bikes to give. These include:
- Goodman Community Center
- St. Stephen’s Food Pantry
- Urban Triage
- Ho-Chunk Nation
- Fountain of Life Church
- Oregon Youth Center
Posted by Kristie Goforth Schilling, Executive Director
