Just a few weeks ago, BWorks closed on the purchase of the former Compton Heights Christian Church building at 2149 South Grand Boulevard. After many years in our rented space in Soulard, this new building will provide the room and stability we need to grow our programs and serve even more young people across the St. Louis region.

This moment represents the culmination of a three-year search and a bold step toward the future of BWorks. Demand for our youth programs continues to rise, and this larger, permanent space will allow us to strengthen our operations and deepen our impact in the community.

In many ways, the move is also a homecoming. BWorks traces its roots back to the Shaw neighborhood in 1988, when a passionate cyclist began connecting neighborhood youth with bicycles and teaching them how to ride safely and care for their bikes. Nearly four decades later, that simple idea has grown into a program that empowers thousands of young people with skills, confidence, and opportunity.

Our volunteers have already begun cleaning out the building and tackling early renovations, while our staff continues delivering youth programs both onsite and at schools and partner organizations throughout the region. Our retail operations will remain at our current location during the renovation and transition process.

The most exciting news: the building is already paid off.

But to fully bring the space to life for the youth we serve, we still need to complete several critical upgrades. While volunteers and staff are contributing countless hours of sweat equity, some improvements require professional expertise.

Key projects include:

• A new roof to protect the building
• An updated HVAC system to keep kids and volunteers comfortable year-round
• Electrical upgrades for our classrooms and bike workshops
• Improvements to the fire alarm system

Together, these essential improvements will cost approximately $500,000.

Like any new home, we may not be able to complete everything right away. But with the help of our community, we know it will happen.

Your support can help transform this building into a vibrant, permanent home where young people can learn, grow, and build confidence through bicycles for generations to come.

Whether you give $5, $50, $500, or $5,000, every donation moves us closer to completing this space and continuing BWorks’ 38-year legacy of inspiring youth to dream big and care for the world around them.

If you believe in the power of bikes to change lives, we invite you to be part of this next chapter.

See some of our pictures of the new building here. 

Donate today: https://www.bworks.org/membership/

If passed, HB2761 would remove local control of funding from St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and hand control of those funds to the Department of Natural Resources. These funds don’t come from general taxes-they come from fees paid by landfill users, and they are currently reinvested locally to keep waste out of landfills in the first place.

A bill moving quickly through the Missouri legislature – HB2761 – could end funding for local environmental action across our state, including the work of all the St. Louis organizations pictured, and many more.

Bworksl is a grant recipient of the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. 

Because of this essential funding, each year we:

-Keep members on the Bworks team (this funding supports local jobs)

-Helps cover labor costs to refurbish thousands of unloved bicycles and computers

-Helps Bworks collect and divert over 121,000 lbs of materials from landfills each year. 

-Leverage this funding as a local match to attract larger federal grants and out of state grants. 

Thats Just Bworks, Now include the 26 municipal cities who get funding, the dozens of non-profits and more and you start to understand the potential impact of cutting funding.  

We need your help today.

HB2761 is moving now, and lawmakers need to hear from constituents who care about effective, local solutions. 

What you can do! 

Submit Testimony Here TODAY! (1/28)

Contact your local Representatives who sit on this committee and tell them to come up with a better plan! 

Who	Location	Phone:	E-Mail:
Banderman, Brad (119)	Franklin	573-751-0549	Brad.Banderman@house.mo.gov
Rep. Wendy L. Hausman (R)	St. Charles	573-751-3717	Wendy.Hausman@house.mo.gov
Rep. Don Mayhew (R)	Pulaski, Miller	573-751-3604	Don.Mayhew@house.mo.gov
Rep. Michael Burton (D)	St. Louis	573-751-9472	Michael.Burton@house.mo.gov
Rep. Mark Boyko (D)	Kirkwood	573-751-4069	Mark.Boyko@house.mo.gov
Rep. Jim Murphy (R)	South County	573-751-3719	Jim.Murphy@house.mo.gov
Rep. Ray Reed (D)	Brentwood / Richmond Heighgts / Maplewood	573-751-2883	Ray.Reed@house.mo.gov
Rep. Deanna Self (R)	St. Charles	573-751-1484	Deanna.Self@house.mo.gov
Rep. Marla Smith (D)	Overland / Jennings	573-751-4726	Marla.Smith@house.mo.gov
Rep. Connie Steinmetz (D)	Maryland Heights	573-751-0100	Connie.Steinmetz@house.mo.gov
Rep. Richard West (R)	St. Charles	573-751-9768	Richard.West@house.mo.gov

This week has been absolutely chock full of congratulations and smiles and taking home bikes and computers — that’s because a total of 88 St. Louis-area children and teens successfully completed one of our free, six-week-long programs over the past six days!

Nine different groups across the bi-state met with our dedicated staff and volunteer BWorks instructors for their final lessons, and the excitement was palpable, from our north St Louis City to south City partner locations and from Hazelwood to Edwardsville (shout out to ACT and its Community Action Grants for funding our Lincoln Middle and Columbus Elementary cohorts this fall!) … and of course right here in Soulard!

The weather was wonderfully cooperative on the bike side of things as these crews were able to fit lots of great riding in. And we even had two more Learn-To-Ride students return for even more practice this afternoon to close out this beautiful week. Please enjoy just a few scenes from this week, and happy holidays to you.

Friends Friday! We have to give a huge shout-out to our donors who continue to show up for our youth in big and small ways. One of our supporters recently heard our call to replace some aging, well-loved tools in the shop and classroom—and stepped up without hesitation.

These tools aren’t just equipment. They’re what our students use to learn hands-on skills, and what our staff and volunteers use to refurbish so many bikes.

We’re incredibly grateful for donors who listen, respond, and invest in the day-to-day needs that keep our programs moving forward. Thank you for helping us put better tools in young and old hands and for helping build stronger futures.