Donate a bike..
- Thread starter Houndog
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If you don't get a good answer, PM "Pick". He donated a bike during Christmas and got me thinking how I could do so for next season. My initial thought is going through a local church? But I don't want it going to a church kid necessarily. I want it to go to a child who's parents wouldn't be able to afford such a nice bike.
I'll have to make sure to donate a lock with it too, as I would be worried the kid would live in a neighborhood where the thing would be snatched in a moments notice. :?
I'll have to make sure to donate a lock with it too, as I would be worried the kid would live in a neighborhood where the thing would be snatched in a moments notice. :?
Your best bet would be to get with one of the local bike shops, Im sure one of them has a program where they take used bikes and fix them up for Christmas.
Im sure if you asked around a bit, you would find that several groups in your city do the bicycle giveaway thing. Some giveaway brand new bikes, while other groups give away refurbished bikes.
if you are wanting to give them away yourself, seems like there is always a parent on Craigslist looking for a bicycle for their child. Or if you dont want to go that route, sometimes even word of mouth will connect you with a deserving child.
If the bikes you are giving away are classics... I would suggest that you find the right recipient, otherwise they might end up getting sold or pawned. And if that dont work.... sell the bikes on Craigslist and use the money to go buy dept. store bikes to giveaway.
Im sure if you asked around a bit, you would find that several groups in your city do the bicycle giveaway thing. Some giveaway brand new bikes, while other groups give away refurbished bikes.
if you are wanting to give them away yourself, seems like there is always a parent on Craigslist looking for a bicycle for their child. Or if you dont want to go that route, sometimes even word of mouth will connect you with a deserving child.
If the bikes you are giving away are classics... I would suggest that you find the right recipient, otherwise they might end up getting sold or pawned. And if that dont work.... sell the bikes on Craigslist and use the money to go buy dept. store bikes to giveaway.
I donated 4 bikes to Goodwill before the end of the year. While not to a needy child, they still went to a good cause. It was a simple as unloading them at their donation drop door and getting a receipt for tax purposes...
After having a bad experience donating to Goodwill.... NEVER again.
Our city has a annual citywide garage sale, and its common knowledge that a lot of people donate the leftovers to Goodwill just to get rid of them. Well apparently Goodwill didnt want the donations and was turning people away.
So whenever I have stuff to donate.... I now give it to an organization called DAV "Disabled American Veterans" they also run stores similar to Goodwill and always seem truly appreciative of the donations they do get.
Our city has a annual citywide garage sale, and its common knowledge that a lot of people donate the leftovers to Goodwill just to get rid of them. Well apparently Goodwill didnt want the donations and was turning people away.
So whenever I have stuff to donate.... I now give it to an organization called DAV "Disabled American Veterans" they also run stores similar to Goodwill and always seem truly appreciative of the donations they do get.
I haven't had such an experience with Goodwill, but regardless, anyone can walk into a Goodwill store and make a purchase. We've had RRB members find great "Fresh Finds" in Goodwill, then flip the bike. If I'm putting work into a donation bike, I want that bike to go directly to a child who needs it. Not take a chance that some flipper is going to find it, and I see it on Craigslist for $150 a couple days later.
Fresno had a bike kitchen. I wanted to donate time, but they went under before I could.
cman said:
We don't have anything like that here either. I'm not sure that all Goodwill stores are run the same or for the same charities, so your results may vary. The local Goodwill branches work with ABVI, so although they sell donated items to the general public, the funding generated helps the blind and visually impaired. So maybe it doesn't go to a kid that wanted a bike. Like I said before, it still goes to help folks that need help.
I think the best way to do it, for me anyway, is to go through your child's school. The school principal, or counselor know who is really in need. I have done it (anonymously) for 3 years & for me, it's a really great feeling seeing one being ridden. Unfortunately the boys bike (12.5") that I donated last year ended up being stolen, They went to Walmart & left it in the back of a pickup truck, came out & it was gone! Really ticked me off, not at just the thief, but the parents, unfortunately kids don't get to pick their parents! :lol: Still makes my blood boil to think of what kind of person would steal a little kids bike???
yoothgeye
I build stuff.
I have people in my church that know that I fix kid's bikes and give away whatever I have at the time so the requests come to me. It takes a while to get the word moving around to the right people but then it's pretty easy to find people to give bikes to.
I have a bunch of 20" wheeled kids bikes that I accumulate from buying bike collections or dumpster diving. Usually they are cobbled together from remnants of partial bikes, so they are functional but not super attractive. When neighbor kids need one, because theirs got 'borrowed', lost, or damaged, I spot them a bike.
I don't know if they are worthy of donating to an official charity, but after seeing some of the crap bikes our goodwill wants $34.99 apiece for, mine look like gold.
I don't know if they are worthy of donating to an official charity, but after seeing some of the crap bikes our goodwill wants $34.99 apiece for, mine look like gold.
I am a needy kid 
Ok ok, bad joke.
Certainly a noble cause gents. I help some local kids with servicing there bikes and pass on some of my knowledge (Sadly not a large knowledge base). Its great to see them take to task, even better when they get to enjoy the job satisfaction.
Ok ok, bad joke.
Certainly a noble cause gents. I help some local kids with servicing there bikes and pass on some of my knowledge (Sadly not a large knowledge base). Its great to see them take to task, even better when they get to enjoy the job satisfaction.
In addition, I was recently involved getting my hands on all these:
I work for a storage company and we worked with the public and accepted bike donations. They were all donated to indigenous kids. It was a huge success.
I work for a storage company and we worked with the public and accepted bike donations. They were all donated to indigenous kids. It was a huge success.
18htan said:In addition, I was recently involved getting my hands on all these:
I work for a storage company and we worked with the public and accepted bike donations. They were all donated to indigenous kids. It was a huge success.
I see a lot of happy kids in that mass of bikes! :lol: 8) :mrgreen:
