Historical March 1994 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The Social Services Committee of the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council is working to bring an innovative and exciting program to our neighborhood.
It is part of an effort to enrich the lives of our community youth.
It is the hope of all involved that by creating positive outlets and opportunities for our children, they will be more productive in their lives.
The new program is Skinker DeBaliviere BicycleWorks. Our program is based on St. Louis BicycleWORKS, located on Shenandoah in south St. Louis.
It will branch out to our community.
The program is an alternative education youth program which works to build self-esteem, a strong work ethic, leadership skills, employment skills, and knowledge about bicycle safety, use, and maintenance.
While there are many functions of the program, from the youth keeping work logs to learning employment skills, the primary program that BicycleWORKS offers is the Earn-A-Bike Program for youth ages 9-16.
This program requires that participants volunteer 25 hours of service to their community which will be documented with time cards and written logs prepared by the participants.
The community service work is only limited by our imaginations.
The youth will help on the food drive on March 19, they will help on Blitz Day, they can clean up Lucier Park and alleys in the neighborhood, they can plant flowers or water flowers– whatever serves the community best. Community service is just one part of the Earn-A-Bike Program.
The youth will also spend time learning about bicycle safety, use, and maintenance in seminars and training sessions. Learning how to change inner tubes and how to ride safely as well as preparing to pass written and performance tests is part of this program.
When youngsters complete the program, they will have donated time to their community, learned about bicycle safety and maintenance, and earned their own bikes, helmets, and locks.
The first session of this program will be run by St. Louis BicycleWORKS. Their staff are presently training members of our community so we can start our own Skinker DeBaliviere BicycleWorks.
After the first group of youngsters goes through the program, we will be running our own sessions throughout the summer.
It is the hope of those involved that by the start of the school year, we can have least 100 Skinker DeBaliviere youth on two wheels.
There will be an informational meeting about Skinker DeBaliviere BicycleWorks on Thursday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m.
The place is yet to be announced; call 862-5122 for information.
This one time meeting will be held for members of the community who would like to sign their children up to participate, and for other interested parties. No child will be able to participate unless a parent or legal guardian signs them up in person.
The location of the meeting will be made known through fliers which will be delivered to all community homes.
We arc presently trying to arrange a semi-permanent home within our community for the program with the hope that it will grow and offer youth a place to congregate to study or to work on bikes. Ideally, we want to be able to offer afterschool and Saturday hours throughout the school year for the youngsters. That way they can continue to work on their bikes, learn about other programs, and be motivated through perks within our program to achieve better in school.
It is also a goal to eventually be able to hire our own youth to assist in running the program. Our youth need work and this would assist in building more positive role models for the younger kids. Where do all of the bicycles come from? Well, St. Louis BicycleWORKS has a supply to get us started, but we are accepting/begging for used bikes, parts, or any related items. Children’s bikes are a real treat!
We will be happy to pick up anything you might have for us.
We are also examining other supply options for the future.
While we have applied for numerous grants to help bring Skinker DeBaliviere BicycleWorks to life, we are still penniless and not too proud to beg. Any members of the community who would like to make a donation to the program can send their checks to the SDCC office, 6008 Kingsbury, St. Louis 63112. Make checks payable to the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council (please put “for BicycleWORKS” in the memo area of your check). Even with donated bicycles, it still costs approximately $100 to train and outfit each child. Your sponsorship of a child or any donation will help bring this amazing program to life. Anyone interested in helping with the program as an afterschool tutor, a community service organizer, or as a bicycle repair guide is welcome. DON’T FORGET THE MARCH 10 MEETING!
If you cannot make the March 10 meeting, please call Kim Koenig at the SDCC office, 862-5122, or Beth Bender at 863-3854.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, March 1994.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1994_03.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 7; PDF page(s) 1, 7.
