Tis the season to give back and our passholders did just that this past Monday. Thank you to everyone who came together to deliver and donate gifts to those in need at Project HOME. We had over $600 worth of donations and know that Project HOME truly appreciates your generosity.
Check out some of the photos below. Happy Holidays!
Our Better Bike Share Partnership Outreach team has been wrapping up the year with a few Spanish-language Urban Riding Basics classes in South Philadelphia.
Pati Gutiérrez, one of our BBSP Community Liaisons, spent the past few months meeting with different Latino immigrant-serving organizations to schedule Spanish-Language Urban Riding Basics classes at their sites. In December, we participated in Puentes de Salud’s Charla Program and Casa Monarca’s information session on Philadelphia’s different modes of public transportation.
Puentes de Salud is a nonprofit that promotes the health and wellness of South Philadelphia’s growing Latino immigrant community through health care and educational programs, among other things. Their Charla Program, for example, consists of weekly informal presentations on topics related to health; all offered in Spanish. Volunteers lead the Charlas programming and the meetings take place in the waiting room of Puentes de Salud’s clinic. On December 7th, Pati led a session on bike safety and Indego for roughly 25 people.
Casa Monarca promotes the preservation of Mexican culture and traditions through their programs, primarily focusing on the arts and education for the community. On December 8th, they hosted a Spanish-Language information session on transportation options, including SEPTA and Indego. Pati spoke to the group about how Indego works, safe riding in the city, and answered the group’s various questions. At the end of the event, she distributed helmets to the participants.
Do you work for an organization that serves the Latino community and would be interested in hosting a class? Do you know anyone whose dominant language is Spanish that you think would be interested in participating in one of these classes, or in any of our programming? If so, let us know and Pati will follow up with more information!
Over the Summer, the Better Bike Share Partnership team had a unique opportunity to partner with the Food Trust and Cadence Youth Cycling team to lead rides from the Food Trust’s Common Ground Marketplace (Broad and Mt. Vernon) to various urban farms throughout North Philadelphia. Through this partnership, we met many folks in the community interested in learning more about Indego and the Urban Farms movement.
First stop: We were set to visit the Philly Urban Creators (PUC) Farm on July, 12th. We had a fun group that day, including three sisters from the community (they took a break from shopping to go on the ride with us).
As we rode to the farm, riders rang their bells and waved at folks as we passed. The Cadence youth engaged with riders in conversation, telling them about their program and how fun it is to bike in the city. Once we arrived at the PUC farm, we received a warm welcome, met the organizers and many community members of all ages involved in the effort. They gave us a tour of their farm and talked to us about their overall goals. The produce that they are growing in North Philly was being sold at the The Common Ground Market Place and other farmers markets throughout the city.
We made many great connections on this ride. One of the participants, Susie Paige, happened to be a member of GirlTrek Philly and invited us to coordinate a group ride later in the year with 10 members of the GrilTrek crew. When asked about her experience with Indego, Susie shared, “the ride was great. It was a wonderful way to visit the urban garden. I took my first solo Indego ride today. Did very well thanks to the GirlTrek training.”
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia does outreach and education on behalf of Indego, and their work is made possible by the Better Bike Share Partnership, an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.
Give the gift of happiness this holiday season by helping us deliver gifts to those in need at Project HOME.
Join us on Monday, December 21st at 5:30pm at our 12th & Filbert station (by Reading Terminal Market). From there, we will head out on a guided group ride to Project HOME’s 1515 Fairmount Ave location to drop off our donations.
In order to participate, you must bring at least one of the following items:
NEW: Hats, gloves, scarves, socks, blankets, pillows, sheets, towels for adults, and toys for all genders K-5.
In exchange for your generous donation, we will waive any usage fees you incur on the ride and Project HOME’s Young Entrepreneurs will serve you cookies, tea, and hot cocoa!
About Project HOME:
The mission of the Project HOME community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.
About Better Bike Share Partnership:
This ride is sponsored by the Better Bike Share Partnership. The Better Bike Share Partnership is an initiative funded by the JPB Foundation, which seeks to create a socially equitable and replicable bike share model for Philadelphia and beyond.
FAQs
Do I need to be a Passholder? You do not have to be a Passholder. We welcome current and potential Passholders to come along for the ride.
Can I ride my own bike? Of course!
I can’t ride but how can I still donate? Please drop off donations at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia by Tuesday, December 21st. The Bicycle Coalition is located at 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1107. Ask for Katie Monroe, Bike Share Outreach Manager.
Disclaimer: Fees will be waived for Passholders and Walkup users for the time spent riding to and from donation delivery. Anything over the duration of hours will not be waived.
Name: JW Wiggins
Occupation/Interest: Librarian
Neighborhood: South Philadelphia
Favorite thing about Philly: There are just so many neat things to see and do all over the place–I lived for years in a rural area, so I have a great appreciation for the opportunities in our city! Things are so accessible–whether by walking, transit, or cycling.
Why do you ride Indego? Indego stations and bikes are convenient–within a block of my home in South Philly, my work in University City, and so many of the places I go–even for things like physical therapy in Queen Village. They are particularly perfect for one-way trips for any residents who have their own bikes, and a great option for showing guests around the city. I also try to ride them as much as I can instead of riding a bus or train–it’s helpful to keep active throughout the day and week.
What views do you see on your ride? My favorite rides so far were to check out the crowds during the recent visit by the Pope, really a great Philly experience. From spring through summer to fall, I’ve seen many sunrises and sunsets while crossing the Schuylkill in either direction. Every once in a while I’ll alter my route and I discover some new murals (one of the my favorite benefits about living in Philly)–and often, some very friendly people out and about in their neighborhoods.
Any tips for new Indego riders? 1)–add the app(s) to your smartphone if you have one for some great convenience for planning; 2) add the Indego phone number to your contacts and don’t hesitate to call when you have any questions–the staff are helpful, just awesome; 3) explore all the bike lanes and keep your helmet handy to keep Indego a convenient option when you’re out and about! There are a lot of safe, fun rides to enjoy.
How has Indego impacted your life and/or community? I credit Indego for helping me lose six pounds, encouraging me to enjoy the urban outdoors more, and making it easy for me to be more spontaneous. I’ve enjoyed more fun times with my friends, gotten more chores done, and been more involved than ever before.
Our first Passholder meetup was a huge success! We had a great time chatting with riders, eating delicious dinner and getting to know the faces of Indego. Special thank you to Capital One 360 for hosting.
First, we enjoyed delicious dinner from Mia & Me Catering, then we played games, met and awarded the Passholder that rode to all 73 stations, and mixed and mingled for a few hours.
Thanks again for the fun night and look out for more Passholder meetups via our monthly newsletter!
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