Project Report
| Apr 23, 2019
Switchback Cyclery Quarterly Report
By Cynthia and Steve | The Switchback Management Team
Happy Spring!
Firstly, we want to extend a huge thank-you from the whole Switchback team for supporting our mission of providing dignified, meaningful work for people with significant barriers to employment in a supportive, community setting.
We’d also love to share a few of the highlights from this past quarter.
Employee Progress
- As we reported last quarter, one of our employees, Blake*, has entered a four-month addiction treatment program. We’re happy to report that he is progressing well, and we are in regular contact with him to offer support and encouragement as he takes this huge step towards his personal well-being.
- Although Blake’s absence has left us a bit short-handed, we have been so happy that our employee Tom* has grown and flourished by stepping up to the plate in Blake’s absence. He's shown more growth, initiative, responsibility and aptitude in the past few months than we've seen in the entire 6 years we've been open as a shop. His quality of work, productivity and personal growth has made Tom the most improved employee of the year!
Social Enterprise Development
- Thanks to continued strong business, we are now looking to add 2-3 new barriered employees to the shop. We are really excited about extending our mission of offering dignified, meaningful, stable work to more people with significant barriers to employment. At this stage we’ve started the interview process and are thrilled at the prospect of having new folks join the Switchback team!
*Names changed to protect the privacy of our employees.
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Jan 9, 2019
Switchback Cyclery Quarterly Report
By Steve and Cynthia | The Switchback Management Team
![A moment of levity between bike repairs!]()
A moment of levity between bike repairs!
Happy New Year!
Firstly, we want to extend a huge thank-you from the whole Switchback team for supporting our mission of providing dignified, meaningful work for people with significant barriers to employment in a supportive, community setting.
We’d also love to share a few of the highlights from this past quarter.
Employee Progress
- One employee has been living with addiction for many years. Thanks to the support they have received and the confidence they have built through their work at Switchback, they were able to recognize their need to enter treatment. They enrolled and were accepted into a 4 month-long rehabilitation program.
- Another employee was supported by their mentors and managers at Switchback to reunite with their family after two decades of estrangement. As a result, their mental health is the best it’s been in their five years of working at the shop.
- We were able to support another employee with finding new housing in order to develop their independence from an unhealthy, co-dependent relationship and escape an environment that was not supportive of their recovery from addiction. They are now settling in to their new place!
Social Enterprise Development
- This past quarter, Switchback started a new partnership with Butterfield & Robinson, a tour company that specializes in cycling tours. The aim of this partnership is to offer educational opportunities for Butterfield and Robinson tour attendees to learn about social enterprises and the lives of the marginalized and oppressed community members employed by Switchback. Tour attendees will have the opportunity to take classes on bicycle repair skills alongside our employees.
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