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Opportunity Details

TeamWorks: Bike Fun & Two-Wheeled Advocacy (age 18+) *Hands On*

Join a TeamWorks team of volunteers for a series of done-in-a-day projects led by a Hands On Greater Portland TeamWorks Leader. TeamWorks offers volunteers the opportunity to make a slightly longer-term commitment to volunteering, delve into a topic or issue-area, and get to know other volunteers in the process.

September is Bike Commute Challenge month - a time where we are encouraged to challenge ourselves and our colleagues, friends, and family to take to two wheels while commuting to work and school. We are lucky to live in a city ranked among the Best Bike Cities in America despite our hilly terrain and other potentially challenging aspects of commuting by bicycle, like our tell-tale rainy weather.

To help further the growth and access to this active mode of transportation, we are bringing back our popular TeamWorks team focused on all things bicycle! Whether you are new to biking and want to learn more or you're already a champ on two-wheels, this is a great opportunity for you to get involved with community efforts to make bike transportation a fun, safe, and viable option for our whole community.

Join us as we clean donated bikes for kids with the Community Cycling Center, don our super-hero capes and ensure safe intersections at September's SW Sunday Parkways, and roll up our sleeves to maintain hiking and biking trails on Powell Butte. We'll learn about how to stay dry as we head into fall thanks to PBOT's all-weather cycling workshop, and also listen to bike-themed stories as we lend a hand at "Live the Revolution!", the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's awesome storytelling fundraiser, raising money for its Safer Routes to School program. And to wrap up the team, we'll hop on our bikes for a fun and informative pedal tour of Portland's bike-friendly infrastructure lead by a local transportation planner. Each project will include discussion time and we’ll explore a variety of topics, resources and issues related to cycling and bicycle advocacy in the greater Portland area. 
 
Participants are, of course, encouraged to bike to each volunteer project and we will be organizing a ride to each once we meet for the first time and select a mutually convenient starting point (we just can’t have Minneapolis surpassing us again as the #1 bike-friendly city... or worse yet, New York City!). Team members will also be kept informed and invited to participate in a variety of other cycling related events and opportunities throughout the TeamWorks.

If you would like to join the team but don’t have a bicycle and/or are not able to use a bicycle, email the team leader, and we'll try to work something out!

Please note: All TeamWorks members are asked to pay an administrative fee of $10 at the first project to confirm your participation on the team and help keep the TeamWorks program running. Scholarships are available upon request.

What is TeamWorks?
 TeamWorks teams consist of approximately 10-15 individuals, led by a Hands On trained volunteer leader, who commit to volunteering for every project in the series, so please carefully check the schedule below before signing up! Signing up for the FIRST or SECOND session will sign you up for the entire TeamWorks series. If you know in advance you'd have to miss one of the projects, let us know and you might still be eligible to join the team. Questions can be directed to Melissa Bockwinkel, TeamWorks Leader, by using the "Email Opportunity Leader" link in the grey box at the end of the page. 

TeamWorks Schedule: 

Session One: All Season Cycling Talk & TeamWorks Kick-Off
Wednesday, September 25, 5:45 pm - 9:00 pm
Holliday Park, PBOT Building, & Nearby restaurant -- NE Portland
Let's get this team kicked off with some good cycling-savvy advice! We'll meet up at a To-Be-Determined corner of Holladay Park to collect our team and then walk over to join in on Portland Bureau of Transportation's interactive All Season Cycling session, where we'll hear from some experienced riders as they share their tips and techniques for staying dry, comfortable and safe while riding year 'round. It may get pretty wet in Oregon, but with a little prepartion we can be prepared for it and ready to roll!

After the session, we'll head to a nearby restaurant to grab some food, get to know the team, and talk about the awesome array of projects we'll be helping out with in the weeks to come. (Note: team members are responsible for their own dinner, so bring your wallet or come with snacks).

Session Two: Southwest Portland Sunday Parkways 
Sunday, September 29, 12:15 - 4:00pm 
Southwest Portland (exact location to be Determined) 
Portland’s Sunday Parkways promotes healthy, active living through a series of free events opening the cities streets to pedestrians, cyclists and really any other form of active transportation you can think of. September’s Sunday Parkways will include rolling hills, beautiful views, Hillsdale and Multnomah business districts, Gabriel Park, Multnomah Village, and Hillsdale Shopping Center, all filled with activities, food, vendors, music, and more. We will be working as intersection superstars to help keep the streets safe for all the walkers, joggers, strollers, and cyclists enjoying the car-free route.

Anyone who was not able to start the team on Wednesday, September 25th can join the remainder of the team starting with this second session!

Session Three: Intro Night with the Community Cycling Center
 
Tuesday, October 1, 7:00 - 9:30pm 
Community Cycling Center, NE Portland 
Founded in 1994, the Community Cycling Center is all about broadening access to bicycling and its benefits. Through its bike shope and nonprofit programming, the Center's vision is to build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. During this session, we'll learn more about the Community Cycling Center at their monthly volunteer orientation. We will get an overview of their mission and programs, a tour of the Center, and have a chance to ask questions, in preparation for the following week's project, where we'll return to actually get our hands dirty cleaning bikes for kids!

Session Four: Bike Legal Clinic & Tuesday Night Drop in with the Community Cycling Center 
Tuesday, October 8, 5:30 - 6:30 pm legal clinic, 7 - 9:30pm volunteering
Community Cycling Center, NE Portland
We'll start off session four with an informative hour learning about the ins and outs of our rights and responsibilities as cyclists during a helpful Bike Legal Clinic, courtesy of lawyer Charley B. Gee of Swanson, Thomas,
Coon & Newton. Afterwards, we'll hop on our bikes and head back the Community Cycling Center bike shop for a fun volunteer session of tearing down and cleaning donated bikes before they get transformed into "new" bikes for kids. These refurbished bikes are distributed to kids in the community through their bike camps, after-school clubs, and their annual Holiday Bike Drive -- which provides 500 kids with their first bicycles, new helmets, and basic safety education. We will work close together as a team and have a chance for some great discussions while we work. Note: After this, all team members will be trained up enough to continue volunteering during the Tuesday evening drop-in sessions to help refurbish bikes for kids!

Session Five: Restore Habitat and Maintain Trails at Powell Butte
Saturday, October 12, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Portland Parks & Rec @ Powell Butte, SE Portland
We will join PP&R, Friends of Powell Butte and other community volunteers in completing important restoration projects on Powell Butte right along the popular Springwater Corridor Bike Path. The 608 acres of meadowland and forest that make up Powell Butte provide easy access to trails available for walkers and mountain bikers within Portland city limits. We'll help with trail work, ivy and other invasive species removal, fence work and possibly planting, mulching or watering native plants. Remember to wear sturdy shoes, long pants and shirts, and bring rain gear, a hat and water bottle. Instruction, tools, gloves and small treats will be provided.

Session Six: "Live the Revolution" Fundraiser for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Thursday, October 17, 5:00-9:30pm 
Clinton Street Theatre, SE Portland
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance works to create healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safe, convenient and accessible. During this session, we'll join them for their 3rd Annual Live the Revolution story telling event for a night of tales from some of our communities most prominent members about their experience with bicycles and bicycling adventures. We'll split the team up into an early and late shift, helping serve beer and pizza, and manage tickets and merchandise -- when you're not on your shift, you can enjoy the event free of charge!

Session Seven: "Building a Bike-Friendly City" Pedal Tour & Wrap-Up
Tuesday, October 22, 5:30 - 9:00pm
Location to be Determined 
For our final TeamWorks session, let's take to the streets to explore Portland's innovative bicycle infrastructure -- past, present, and future -- for ourselves! We will meet up for a fun and informative bike tour led by Zef Wagner, a local transportation planner and active transportation advocate. On two wheels, we'll visit examples of what the city is doing -- at the planning and policy levels -- to make bike transportation a safe and viable option for our community. Bring your brains, because there might just be some transportation trivia questions sprinkled throughout the tour!

After the bike tour, we'll head to a nearby restaurant or food cart pod to wrap up the TeamWorks with a final meal and discussion of what we've learned and how we hope to stay involved in the active transportation worlds moving forward.

Project Requirements:

  • Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older to attend this project.

Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot! Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3370.

The opportunity date and time you are looking for is no longer available.
Civic & Community, Sports & Recreation
Families, Low-income Communities, Immigrants, Refugees or Ethnic Groups, Visitors & Travelers
Cleaning,Administrative Support/Clerical,Event Organizing,Sports & Recreation

Age Minimum (with Adult): 18+, Minimum Age:18+

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