Switchback Cyclery

Thank you so much for your support over the past few months. With our busiest season coming to a close, all of us at Switchback are breathing a sigh of relief. There's lots to be grateful for during the busy months of spring and summer when our shop is buzzing with activity. This year we're especially grateful for the success of our second annual Harvest Ride fundraiser (see picture above). But by the end of October we always feel ready for a rest! 

On the topic of rest and recovery, two of our staff members have realized that they want to take advantage of this quieter time of year by attending addiction rehabilitation programs to help them on their journey towards wellness. We are so glad that they feel empowered to make this choice for themselves and that their work at Switchback has given them the time and resources needed to make it possible.

With fewer hands needed in the shop, two of our recent hires are going to supplement all the amazing hands-on learning they did this summer with some professional development courses at Park Tool School this winter.

Finally, for the first time, our whole staff team will be going on a 3-day retreat in a few weeks for team and relationship building. We can’t wait!

Thank you for supporting our work and mission of providing dignified, stable jobs for people who have significant barriers to employment. In a world where success in business often demands a single-minded focus on profits, our little social enterprise that strives to make space for people who are marginalized and to build an inclusive, supportive community, is always swimming upstream. Knowing that there are so many people out there who are in our corner, cheering us on, means the world to us.

With much gratitude,

The Switchback Crew

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your support over the past several months!  We're right in the middle of the busiest time of the year.  The beautiful weather always inspires people to get their bikes in tip-top shape or come in to buy a shiny new ride! 

We've also recently welcomed two new participants to our team, and we're busy helping them adjust to their new roles!  Wanda* has joined us as a sales associate and we're really appreciating her warm and friendly demeanor in the store. She has been so excited to join the team at Switchback, and has shown a lot of enthusiasm for learning all about our inventory and what it takes to run a bike shop! Wanda has also purchased a bike and has been totally surprised by how enjoyable she finds cycling in the city. She thought cycling was going to be like going to the gym: hard, sweaty work, but good for you. She has been pleasantly surprised how good it makes her feel and how enjoyable it is. No breeze in your face in the gym!

We also brought on James* part-time to do janitorial work.  He brings a lot of energy and a passion for bikes to his work, and we hope that in time we might get him doing some work as a technician as well.

We are also so pleased to announced that one of our long-time participants has graduated from Tech level 1 to Tech level 2, which shows a huge amount of growth in his skill-set.  He has worked hard for this, and we are so proud to have been able to provide an environment where he can learn, grow, and thrive.

Thank you so much for supporting our vision for an enterprise that provides excellent service to a community while offering meaningful work opportunities for people with significant barriers to employment.  Our work would not be possible without the generosity of supporters like you.

With much gratitude,

The Switchback Crew