As Venture North Bike Walk & Coffee nears completion, our service and education manager, Casey Pavek, shared this story with us:

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On the last sunny Saturday (that would be November 12), saw Casey and some of the mechanic interns were cleaning out one of the PODS full of donated bikes. Venture North’s first cohort of mechanic interns are 6 young adults, ages 16 – 22, taught comprehensive bicycle repair and maintenance skills by Casey, a former bike mechanic at the Hub Bike Co-op. Right now they meet twice a week for 4 hours, and when the store opens they will have “office hours” shadowing Casey and the other mechanic staff.

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On this particular day, the Venture North crew emptied out two truck-loads of bikes and parts to scrap (check out the donation policy on the VNBWC website, so you know what won’t be scrapped) and found six kid-sized bicycles that could be repaired. Since they needed practice, the interns started fixing them up. Soon, a group of children formed to watch and learn. The interns did a great job teaching the kids how bicycles are repaired, and even fixed one little girl’s tire. The girl rushed home and brought back her parents—who had lunch for the interns in tow!

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Small moments of grace like these remind us that the goal of living well together that we’re seeking is well worth the while. We look forward to teaching and learning with the community, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements about winter classes!