We've had many, many requests for us to be open more hours and while I'd love to be able to do so, there just aren't enough hours in the day for me to both add inventory, repair bikes, and work the sales floor. I'm only one man. Fortunately we have several volunteers who routinely help out. Justin, Lauren, Brian, Austin and Christine have been a godsend and without their help the project would have died an ugly death. However, most of us volunteers have full time jobs or school (or both) to deal with which makes opening the shop on weekdays troublesome. This is where we need your help. For us to be able to be open more we need more volunteers! Specifically, we need someone who can commit to one day a week (preferably Wednesdays) that they can spend in the shop. No experience is necessary but you must be willing to learn.
Here is a list of general activities a volunteer might be expected to fulfill:
1) Outreach: Put up fliers, attend sustainability/green events, coordinate events. This is a job for anyone who is passionate about
reducing greenhouse gasses and has available time in spurts. This position involves putting up fliers near where bikers are, representing the
GBP at green or sustainability events around town and helping to coordinate events like Save the Bikes.
2) Sales: Bike and accessories sales and cash register. This requires basic knowledge of bike mechanics and riding as well as a cheerful demeanor and a willingness to answer sometimes repetitive questions.
3) Mechanic: Repairing bikes that are not yet ready to ride. This requires the most training/skill but also produces the most benefits. Qualified mechanics can actually keep some of the revenue that their repairs generate in bike sales.
4) Buyer: Tracking bike leads and making purchases. This may be the most fun job (at least I think so) but also comes with the most responsibility. This position requires that you go out into the community to acquire the bikes that we repair. Mostly this consists of Garage Sales and auctions (as donations and trades tend to come to us) but also may entail attending FSU functions and flea markets.
You should volunteer if you...
-have a passion for reducing green house gas emissions one bike at a time
-want to learn how to repair bikes
-want to interact with people in the biking community
-love making a difference in people's lives
You should not volunteer if you...
-expect to make a lot of money
-are in it for the women/men
-want a free bike (try Krank-it-up)
-drank the koolaid
What are the perks?
Most of the perks come from knowing you're helping a project that makes life in Tallahassee better by reducing pollution and making the population fitter. All volunteers will also receive a GBP T-shirt and open access to shop resources. We also have food (sometimes) and drinks for volunteers working in the shop. Nothing overly special but it's our way of saying thanks for helping.
