PORTLAND, Ore. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never worked on a bike in your life, you can still help make a difference in a child’s life.

FB4K (Free Bikes for Kids) started in Minneapolis years ago when its founder saw a need in his community. The idea of taking in gently used bikes, fixing, cleaning and refurbishing them, has now grown to a national effort.

Portland has its own set of volunteers who have been working every year to collect bikes and get them back out to kids in our community. FB4K has the help of Providence and the Multnomah County Early Childhood Program.

Kurt Wolfgang works for Providence as a technician in the Emergency Department, but he is also the Operations Director for the FB4K Portland. He says they are always looking for more people to help with their collection events annually. Wolfgang says he enjoys seeing the kids reactions when they get to pick a bike. One young recent recipient arrived in a Spider-Man shirt, and there were bikes available to match, but whether he picked one or not, was his choice. But that’s part of the fun for the volunteers; seeing the joy when a child picks their bike

But more importantly he says, “Whether or not you have bike maintenance experience, we need folks to just clean the bikes up and make them look nice for the kids.” If you’re interested in volunteering, click here.

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