Just Cycle – Partnership between Marymound & The Wrench

Did you know that Marymound has a very cool partnership with The Wrench? We do!

Just Cycle provides youth opportunities for skill-building through fixing up bikes for themselves and others.

Here is a little info about the amazing work they’ve been doing:

“Raine and Leslie here, from the Marymound Bike Shop, where we run the Just Cycle program. Leslie and I have been working with this program since last March, and we love being part of the Marymound team.

The Just Cycle program is a partnership between Marymound and the community bike organization, The WRENCH (thewrench.ca). The Just Cycle program takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Marymound and Pathways youth get to come to the shop once a week and fix up a bike to ride or sell. Leslie and I teach bike mechanics, and help the youth assess and fix their bikes. So far 14 youths have completed their bikes, with another 8 just about there.

Youth have also been fixing bikes for kids in the community! We fixed 10 kids’ bikes for a Christmas giveaway this past winter, called Cycle of Giving.

The youth have been really keen to fix bikes to give to other kids, and recently we got to work on a special project. The war in Ukraine has meant that many Ukrainian families have fled home, and some of them have landed in Winnipeg. My auntie reached out to me, asking if we could fix up a bike for a young boy she knew, who had just fled the violence with his family. Many Marymound youth worked on this bike. Students in Megan and Michelle’s classes made cards for the young boy, and then we got this thank you card in the mail soon after! The gift of this bike made a difference to a family and a child having a really hard time. Look at that smile on his face! The card from the family says “We heard about the kindness of Canadians, and now we know it is true!”

Just wonderful! We’re so grateful for this meaningful partnership with The Wrench.🚲💛