Join St. Louis BWorks for a night of fun with our semi-annual Trivia Fundraiser. All proceeds support Bworks’ unique programming. Tables seat 8-10 participants: split the cost with your brainiest friends! Entry includes free beer. You must be 21+ to attend.
Date: Friday, January 26th, 7-10pm
Location: German Cultural Society 3652 S. Jefferson Ave, STL MO 63118
Cost: $300 for a table (seats 8-10) Tables can be reserved here.
As we say farewell to another remarkable year, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve embarked on together.
We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who has contributed to our cause. Your unwavering support, dedication, and passion have been the driving force behind the positive changes we’ve been able to achieve in the past twelve months.
Together we’ve been able to increase our student reach — with almost 40% more classes this year! We have served 71 different groups of children and teens through Earn-A-Bike, Learn-To-Ride and Earn-A-Computer. With 23 of these free, in-depth courses taking place at partner locations, BWorks made important new connections in numerous neighborhoods around the bi-state region.
These successes are not just statistics; they represent enriched lives, strengthened communities, and brighter futures. We continue to be dedicated to not only reaching more of our fellow citizens but also deepening our engagement to create enduring positive change.
I continue to be impressed by our amazing volunteers and staff who daily go above and beyond for our families, be it providing more practice outside of class time, building adaptive equipment for kids with unique challenges, refining and expanding our curricula and more.
As we grow, maintaining our core values that define us becomes paramount. Growth should be a means to amplify our impact, not dilute the essence of who we are. Preserving the spirit of inclusivity, transparency, and accountability that has been the foundation of BWorks is essential as we navigate the path forward.
The coming year holds exciting possibilities, and we are confident that, with your continued support, we will reach even greater heights.
Thank you for being an integral part of our BWorks family. Together, we are making a real and lasting difference in St. Louis and the world.
In 2025, the West End Community Center building will turn 100 years old. Within those 100 years, it hosted multi-cultural dances and cross-denominational partnerships in the 1930s. In the fifties, it housed St. Louis City’s first interracial arts center — People’s Art Center. More recently, the site was home to the Demetrious Johnson Foundation, hosting a myriad of community events and youth programs. Throughout its rich history, it has been a staple of the community, providing enrichment to thousands of St. Louis residents.
The now empty halls echo with a century worth of stories, contributions, memories and positive impacts. The ballroom has seen weddings, parties, theater and community events of every shape and size. Its gym has had tens of thousands of residents step foot on its floor for formative experiences ranging from dances to sporting events. The classrooms once were a hub of skill building and educational growth for all of St. Louis’ residents regardless of their age, race or faith.
As BWorks looks for a new home, we’ve started to evaluate the feasibility of spurring a rebirth of this now-empty city-owned cultural gem. This is an ambitious yet worthy dream: to create a shared space focused on empowering St. Louis’ children and teens through youth nonprofits.
This is a large project. But every big dream starts somewhere, and we believe our team and other youth nonprofits can rise to this challenge, especially if our city leaders walk alongside us.
Currently, this significant property is gathering dust. And right now, many of our youth are encountering new challenges and risks in our post-pandemic world. We could do big things at this location, and we are on a quest for the right partners to join us.
If this dream is something you are interested in helping make happen, please reach out to patrick@bworks.org. Let’s work together and do big, impactful things for St. Louis’ young people! Surely there is no better investment for our city to make than one that will have long-term positive effects on their lives.
Posted on August 28, 2023
BWorks has been partnering with other nonprofits such as the Village Bicycle Project for decades now to find great homes for some of the bicycles donated to BWorks. The bicycles we donate to these groups are mechanically in good shape but might be overbuilt for even St. Louis’ pothole-riddled streets — or just don’t fit our needs for local students for one reason or another.
Here are a few of the student stories from Sierra Leone, where young people recently earned refurbished sets of wheels from us. Each of these bicycles came from a container BWorks staff and volunteers loaded earlier this year. (Read more below the pictures)
Eighteen-year-old Memunatu B. Kamara lives in a remote village called Katick within Masemira chiefdom. She always woke up very early in the morning to walk an extremely long distance — 14 miles round trip — to attend school each day. Spending a total of about six hours on the road, she was often late for school. Memunatu lost her father a few years ago and lives with an older family member who depends on subsistence farming to survive. In the midst of these struggles, Memunatu still has the courage to achieve her goals. Her dream is to become a nurse, but a lack of access to resources has made it difficult for her to pursue her dreams. Memunatu is thrilled, as evidenced by the smile on her face, to receive a bicycle. She’s now determined to never be late for school, and to let nothing stop her from pursuing success.
Abdul Kanu. He lives in a remote village called Magbenthor and is a student at Saint Anthony Of Padua Secondary School Masemira. Abdul, 18, recently received a bicycle from the Village Bicycle Project. He used to walk a total of 16 miles to and from school, taking him a full six hours a day as he sought access to the only secondary school in the community. He’s passionate about becoming a lawyer, and with the energy he can now save while pursuing his education, his academic performance will surely benefit. Abdul was happy to receive a bicycle because of how it helps connect him to his dream for the future.
Adamsay J. Bangura is an instructor at the Saint Anthony Of Padua Secondary School Masemira. She lives in a remote village called Rofothaneh, nearly four miles away from the school. A community teacher and head of the department of home economics, she recently received a bicycle from the Village Bicycle Project, which allows her to significantly reduce the amount of time she spends getting to and from work. She is very passionate about her job and about helping her students regularly ace the BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination)
examination and go on to big things.
For Adamsay M. Kargbo, 13, having a bicycle is a huge deal: it’s the first time she’s owned one. And while Adamsay has two brothers and three sisters eager to enjoy the bike as well, she prizes her new possession as her daily ride to school. Sometimes she will allow her father to borrow it to take to the farm, and so it’s been helpful to him as well. Having a bicycle also allows Adamsay to sleep later, knowing she has a bicycle to more quickly get herself to school in time for its 8 a.m. start.
Idrissa M. Conteh, 16, is excited to benefit from owning his first-ever bicycle. He says he and his sister, who both attend the same school, will both benefit from the new set of wheels. Idrissa is urging the Village Bicycle Project to send more bikes, as he and his sister are far from alone in covering many, many miles on foot to get to school on a daily basis.
Sixteen-year-old Hassanatu S. Turay used to have to wake up at 5:30 a.m. each day just to get to school by 8 a.m. But now that she has her very first bicycle, the 12 miles she needs to cover will go a lot faster and easier. Sibling to four sisters and three brothers, Hassanatu is sharing the bike with a brother who attends the same school as she does.
About three months ago, at the age of 17, Abdul A. Koroma learned to ride on two wheels. His motivation for doing so? Hearing that the Village Bicycle Project opportunity was headed to his school. The youngest of three siblings, he’s the only one using his bicycle to go to school — and is also using his new wheels to get to the market to buy food for the whole family.
Fifteen-year-old Osman A.Turay is now the proud owner of his very first bicycle. He and one of his two brothers will both make use of it as they attend the same school. They used to walk a total of four miles most days in order to access their lessons, with their mother paying for a motorbike on certain days as well. This will be a welcome change for the boys, and the whole family.
