Social And Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc
PROGRAMS
Cooperative Repair
The Bicycle Tree is open to the public four days per week, during which time visitors may use the shop's tools to repair their bike while receiving as much help as they need from our mechanics.
In 2024, we have assisted people with over 2,000 repair visits at our shop. On average, each visit involves over an hour of service. That works out to repairs that could cost over $120,000 in service fees alone at a conventional bike shop. We have collected less than $20k in repair service fees in 2024 while teaching skills in addition to helping people fix their bikes. Additional income comes from the sale of parts and materials used in repairs and is also subsidized by our sales of bikes, parts, and accessories to the general public.
Wrench and Ride
This bicycle education program provides participants with a foundation of skills that are essential to using a bike to get around town. We introduce participants to bicycle anatomy, maintenance, traffic safety, locking techniques, and other fundamental information. Each participant helps repair a bike of their choosing, learns riding skills, and joins the group on a group ride through the city. At the conclusion of the program, everyone takes their bike home along with a lock, lights, and helmet. We have offered this program for different demographics: Youth ages 13-18, LGBTQIA+ people, and women, trans, and femme + -indentifying people.
We have had 193 graduates across 26 cohorts of the Wrench and Ride program. Each graduate has helped repair their bike, learned fundamental skills about using their bike to get around town, and has joined the class in a group ride. They have each left the program with a bicycle, a lock, lights, helmet, and other resources to support their bicycle journey. Surveys indicate that the vast majority of participants feel they have enjoyed the program, learned a lot about riding and repairing bicycles, and that they feel more prepared to use a bicycle regularly.
Bicycle Donations
We donate bicycles, helmets, locks, and lights to individuals in need who are referred to us by partnering human services organizations. Transportation is a basic need. Bicycles can greatly enhance a person's mobility, with minimal ongoing costs, and can be a great addition to walking and public transportation. We view our donations of bicycles as a way to support members of our community by give people a measure of self-reliance
-We donated 92 bicycles plus accessories to individuals in need in 2023. To date, we have donated bikes and accessories to more than 540 individuals. In addition, we have provided low- or no cost bike maintenance for many recipients. Multiple testimonials can attest to the value these bikes have held for their owners.
Bicycle repair and education services at Legacy Square
Legacy Square is an affordable housing development in downtown Santa Ana with over 100 housing units that opened in 2023. The Bicycle Tree provides bicycle repair services and educational programming for residents of this complex. Our bike repair services are free for residents, while parts and materials are available at discounted prices. We also maintain a bike parts vending machine and a self-serve bike repair station.
We have operated our bike repair kiosk for two afternoons per week since summer 2023. We have provided repairs for residents of Legacy Square, assisting over 100 individuals in total. The bicycle vending machine has provided low-cost materials for residents when we are not there, and the do-it-yourself repair station has added to the available amenities.
TWIG (Trans, Women, Intersex, and Gender-nonconforming)
TWIG is a collective for trans, women, intersex, and gender-nonconforming folks who want to ride bikes, learn mechanics, and build community! On two evenings per month, TWIG hosts bike repair hours at the Bicycle Tree. These hours are intended as an option for any TWIG-identifying people to repair their bikes with less potential for exposure to mansplaining, discrimination, or harassment. The TWIG collective also periodically hosts bike rides, classes, and other get-togethers. While we seek to make the Bicycle Tree welcoming to all people during all of our activities, we believe it is important to offer these options as a supportive community and entry point. Due to the unfortunate realities of gender-based discrimination present in Orange County and our broader society, cis-gendered males are disproportionately represented in bicycle repair shops generally and at the Bicycle Tree specifically. The TWIG community creates a place where people can access bicycle resources while feeling less isolated or outnumbered.
TWIG has been active since December 2021. Since then, TWIG has hosted over 40 bicycle repair workshops, several bike rides, a couple bike camping trips, and other activities. Over 100 people have attended these workshops and activities, and the TWIG community continues to grow.
CONTACT
Social And Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc
702 W. 17th St. Unit C
Santa Ana, CA 92706
Phone: 714-2130654