Social And Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc

To equitably support bicyclists and create healthy bicycle-friendly communities through activities, advocacy, and education.

The Bicycle Tree initially began around 2003 through the efforts of a number of people who met while volunteering for Anaheim Food Not Bombs. Using donated food that would otherwise have been thrown out, we prepared free meals served to anyone who was hungry at La Palma Park in Anaheim. The food was prepared near the park at a volunteer's house on Victor Avenue.

Attached to the house was a commercial unit that sat empty for years, which got us thinking about potential uses for the space. Many of us rode bikes as our primary means of transportation, and we shared a philosophy of reducing waste and making resources available and accessible to everyone who needed them. Inspired by nonprofit community bicycle organizations like Bikes Not Bombs near Boston, Recycle-A-Bicycle in New York City, and the Bicycle Kitchen in Los Angeles, we set about creating something similar for our hometown. We envisioned making tools and equipment available for people to use, sharing our maintenance knowledge, and rescuing bikes from neglect and disposal to help keep people rolling.

The Bicycle Tree obtained nonprofit status through fiscal sponsor Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs in 2004. After fundraising, purchasing tools, and gathering donations of bikes and parts, The Bicycle Tree held its first public workshop on the driveway of the Victor house on April 1st, 2006. Situated in a low-income neighborhood, we held workshops here every Saturday. People were invited to use our tools and repair stands and repair their own bikes with our assistance. We were guided by the idea that people benefit from learning bicycle repair fundamentals, and that we were reducing socioeconomic barriers to owning and maintaining a bike by providing knowledge, tools, and parts to the community in a welcoming environment.

Many children in the neighborhood regularly visited these workshops. Four youth who took particular interest in bicycle repair, participated in a preliminary Earn-A-Bike program (which eventually became our Wrench and Ride program). They learned about bike maintenance basics and repaired bikes that became theirs to keep.

During our time at the Victor house, Bicycle Tree volunteers fixed up dozens of bikes and gave them to people who needed them. We also sold refurbished and unrepaired bikes to generate income for the organization. Bikes that could not be repaired had usable parts removed and the rest was brought to scrap recycling. We kept bikes out of the landfill and provided affordable transportation for many. For two years, our operations at the Victor house demonstrated and developed our skills and served as an initial phase of making our vision a reality

For several reasons, in 2008 we could no longer operate out of the house, and we transitioned to providing pop-up educational bicycle repair workshops on a mobile basis. Over the next several years, we set up repair stations at dozens of events, primarily in Santa Ana, such as the Townsend-Raitt Street Fiesta and Resource Fair, the Día de los Niños Celebration, SOMOS Santa Ana open streets event, the Noche de Altares Día de los Muertos event, the St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare Kids Health and Safety Fair, and the City of Santa Ana Earth and Health Fest. We also had various regular locations where we would set up shop: the Fullerton train station, the Orange Home Grown farmers market (Orange), the Road Less Traveled store (Santa Ana), El Centro Cultural de Mexico (Santa Ana), and the Jerome Center TeenSpace (Santa Ana). For much of this time, we used two heavy-duty bicycle trailers to haul all our tools, equipment, tables, and canopies to our workshops.

To raise funds to maintain and expand our operations, and eventually establish a home for the Bicycle Tree, we held four pancake breakfast fundraiser events. We also obtained donations of funds from many businesses, organizations, and individual supporters. At the end of 2013, we held a crowdfunding campaign to gather additional funds to open a set location. With the generous support of many people, we gathered just enough to take the leap.

In January of 2014, we opened our shop at 811 N. Main St. in Santa Ana. This allowed an unprecedented level of activity for our group, and a great diversification of our activities. This was a new start for the organization, allowing us to begin our Wrench and Ride program, bicycle donations, classes, and bike rides, as well as public maintenance workshops four days per week. We helped found Santa Ana Active Streets, a bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization for our city. Through the efforts of many committed volunteers and the generous support of our donors, the Bicycle Tree blossomed. Though finances at times ran thin, our community kept the Bicycle Tree watered enough to survive and thrive.

After three years at this location, we had clearly outgrown our fairly small space. The bikes, parts, and the number of visitors had us bursting at the seams. We decided that it was time to move!

After searching the city high and low, we found our new home at 702 W. 17th St. C, a mile from our first location. The space was much larger and brighter and allowed us to accommodate our growing community and inventory of bikes, parts, and accessories. Our collective effort came through magnificently, and we built out our new space on a modest budget. In this location, the Bicycle Tree has continued to thrive. Serving as a resource for thousands of people annually, with our roots and branches growing, we ride on!

In 2023, we have
- Assisted people with over 2,000 repair visits at our shop. We teach participants how to repair their bicycles and provide tools for the community to use.
- Hosted three cohorts of Wrench and Ride, providing hands-on bicycle education for 16 participants. This eight-week program teaches essential skills for bicycle users.
- Donated 90 bikes and accessories to individuals in need.
- Repaired and sold 223 pre-owned bicycles and sold 114 pre-owned bicycles as-is. People have gotten thousands of used parts and accessories from our shop. Every used bike and part we help reuse is one less item that needs to be made from raw materials and shipped across the globe.
- Held 10 monthly repair sessions plus bike rides and other activities prioritizing participants who identify as trans, women, intersex, and gender-nonconforming (TWIG).

For the year ahead, we hope to meet or exceed the metrics achieved in 2023.

Our primary funding needs relate to:
- Donations of bicycles and accessories to individuals ($15k/year) - funding for labor, supplies, equipment, facilities, coordination, and accessories.
- Facilities maintenance and improvements ($16k for equipment, floor mats, signage, bicycle display rack, display case, etc.)
- General operational support/capital expansion ($20k-150k+ to help us hire needed staff, help with paying rent on our commercial property, staffing for public hours, outreach, repair assistance at community events, ambitions of expanding, etc.)

Our staffing/volunteer needs are most pressing in the roles of Lead Bicycle Mechanic, Development, and Social Media/Outreach.

We are located in Santa Ana, and most people who visit our center are from the surrounding neighborhoods. However, as Orange County's only nonprofit community bicycle center, many people come to our shop from all parts of Orange County and beyond.

As a cofounder of the Bicycle Tree who has seen our development over the last 19 years, I have witnessed the impact of our work on many peoples' lives. Poverty and near-poverty affect hundreds of thousands of people in Orange County. Transportation is one of many vital needs that typically requires significant investment. Through our educational and equitable bicycle services, we offer unique resources that support bicycle users while relieving some pressure on their finances. The skills we teach and the material support we offer helps people perform money-saving maintenance, enhances the reliability of the bike riding experience, and reduces the number of people riding bikes with unsafe mechanical issues. We help our clientele to have a bike riding experience that is safer, smoother, and more reliable.