Portland Pedal Power adores the Community Cycling Center! When it comes to agencies that are completely aligned with the PPP mission, CCC is at the top of the list. The Community Cycling Center’s programs for increasing access to bikes set the standard for organizations across the country. They also provide assistance and information to cyclists in Portland. Whether you are looking for general information, parts, maintenance, a used bike, advocacy, or just incredibly passionate bike enthusiasts to hang out with, you’ll find it at the CCC.
The Community Cycling Center is a nonprofit organization with a mission to broaden access to bicycling and its benefits through their hands-on programs, volunteer projects, and neighborhood bike shop. Since 1994, they have helped over 13,000 children from low-income families and nearly 3,000 low-income adults gain access to the benefits of bicycling.
The Community Cycling Center’s work is guided by the belief that when more people ride bikes they will be healthier, the environment will be cleaner, and community social ties will be stronger. In order to meet these goals they focus on non-traditional cyclists, people who they can help empower through the self-sufficiency, financial savings, and community connections fostered by regular bicycle usage.
CCC offers many community programs, including Create a Commuter – a program for low-income adults in workforce development programs; Bike Club – a six-week bike safety program offered at SUN elementary schools in north and northeast Portland; and Get Lit – an initiative to make Portland’s streets safer for everyone by installing new lights on unlit cyclists.
Right now, Bike Clubs are underway in seven elementary schools in north and northeast Portland. Bike Club is a free, earn-a-bike, after-school program where 4th and 5th graders from families with low incomes learn safe riding skills, basic bike maintenance, and have the chance to build their confidence as cyclists. By working hard throughout the course of the 12-session program, participants earn their own refurbished bicycles and new locks, tire levers, patch kits, and helmets.
The Community Cycling Center relies on community support to keep rolling. You can support them by shopping at their bike shop on NE 17th and Alberta St., donating your old bike or cash, or volunteering. Check out http://www.communitycyclingcenter.org/ for more details.
