cycling challenge challenge
Dedicated to providing workforce and Dedicated to providing workforce personal development to youth agingand out personal development to youth out of foster care, the relatively new aging nonprofit of foster care, relatively new nonprofit Bike Union is the impacting lives with a threeBike Union is impacting lives with a threespoke approach. The social enterprise spoke approach. The social enterprise encompasses: •encompasses: A traditional bike shop offering sales and • service A traditional bikepercent shop offering with 100 of the sales profitsand service withits100 percent of the programs. profits supporting youth mentoring supporting youth mentoring programs. •A full-menu its coffeehouse generating • additional A full-menu coffeehouse generating program-supporting revenue. additional program-supporting revenue. • Community programming, including a paid • Community programming, including a paid apprenticeship program offering on-the-job apprenticeship offering on-the-job training to youthprogram aging out of foster care. training to youth aging out of foster care. Another initiative, BUMP, partners Another initiative, BUMP, partners
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with Child Saving Institute and Girls Inc. with Child Saving Institute Girls Inc. throughout the summer to and introduce kids to throughout summer to introduce kids to the benefits the of cycling. the“There benefits areof socycling. many rewarding aspects to are do,” so many aspects the“There work we says rewarding Miah Sommer, the to the work we do,” says Miah Sommer, nonprofit’s executive director. “I believethe that nonprofit’s executive “I believe that being able to be a bigdirector. part in the professional being able to development be a big part in professional and personal of the these young and personal adults at suchdevelopment a critical pointofinthese their young lives is adults at such a critical point in their lives is very important.” very Theimportant.” impacts thus far have been “huge,” The impacts thusinclude far have been “huge,” Sommer says, and improved school Sommer says,the and includeofimproved school performance, making healthier lifestyle performance, the making of healthier choices, and students working towardlifestyle their choices, and students working toward their GEDs or entering college. GEDs or entering college.
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“We can use “We can use the bicycle to the bicycle to solve a lot of solve a lot of issues.” –issues.” Miah Sommer, – Miah Sommer, executive director, executive Bike Uniondirector, Bike Union