Blog Archives

It’s been a week of memorable moments. Let’s recount just a few…

On Monday, we celebrated the launch of a great new Earn-A-Bike partnership with Ferguson-Florissant. On Tuesday we started the morning with a wonderful email from a Learn-To-Ride parent that read in part, “My son, [___], got a bike for his third birthday. He fell the very first time and refused to touch a bike again for the next five years! I am so thankful that BWorks offers these lessons for kids who haven’t learned yet. … He left week four feeling confident on a bike. He has biked for hours every day since, including five miles and seven miles trail rides!” We loved hearing that so much. And then we met six more brand-new LTR students up at St. Vincent Park later that day!

Wednesday proved an especially productive day for our mechanical team, with both the bike and computer refurbishment teams cranking out machines for soon-to-be youth graduates. Then Thursday we continued our work with Earn-A-Computer and Earn-A-Bike students on both sides of the bi-state, while other volunteers and staff pushed forward on multiple fronts back at the Soulard shop. We’re wrapping up the week today (Saturday) with a Learn-To-Ride graduation day at the Bellefontaine Rec Center and the launch of our latest Granite City Earn-A-Bike cohort, hosted by Six Mile Regional Library District.

We’re very grateful to all the people and organizations who make all of this and more possible each week, from our donors and staff and volunteers, to intrepid caregivers and hosting locations, to critical supporters of specific class cohorts, including both @Great Rivers Greenway and the Agency for Community Transit (MCT) currently. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Ninety-seven students joined us for a dozen different bike and computer class sessions over the course of this week, all under the guidance of 13 dedicated staff and volunteer BWorks teachers! Meanwhile, another small army of volunteers pushed forward on tasks at our newly purchased building, while still other crews of hard-working helpers continued refurbishing computers and bikes in our workshops at our current headquarters. Our youth-focused activities took us to four schools, one library, the International Institute, various local bike shops that help us collect donated bikes, and to a special event at the Agency for Community Transit, all while we welcomed many wonderful customers and families at our headquarters during retail hours. Now we’re savoring this sunny weekend and celebrating our first graduating Learn-To-Ride cohort of the calendar year! We hope you’ve been able to get outdoors too before temps plunge again for a bit.

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/