Community Cycles hoping for some Good Karma
Community Cycles of California, a nonprofit bike venture, opened the doors this week to its new home on Wilson Avenue, just behind Babe’s Mufflers on The Alameda in San Jose.
Founders Collin Bruce and Cindy Ahola provide refurbished, recycled bikes to low-income families, the homeless community and other disadvantaged populations. They’ve been a regular at the Rose Garden Farmers Market on Saturdays, and the spot that opened Monday is part retail store and part repair shop. And those who can’t afford a bike can do volunteer work — at either Community Cycles or one of its nonprofit partners — to earn one.
If that sounds familiar it’s because both Bruce and Ahola got their start at Good Karma Bikes, which launched with a similar mode. They wanted an opportunity to do more and launched Community Cycles a little more than a year ago with goals that went beyond just putting people on bikes. There are plans to launch a smallbusiness training program for the chronically underemployed next year, as well as establishing service centers at low-income
residential complexes where a bike mishap can cost someone a job if they can’t make it to work.
“Cindy and I have been knocked out by the support we’ve gotten,” Bruce said. “People have listened to what we want to do and want to be a part of it.”
Pointing to their tagline, “raising the quality of life in our corner of the community,” Bruce said bikes are just the tool for a “social enterprise” like theirs. “It’s how we can help the community.”
One thing is for sure: Community Cycles is contributing to the flavor of The Alameda, which recently welcomed both Ace Hardware and the art-centric School of Visual Philosophy to the stretch between Whole Foods Market and Race Street. Growler USA, a franchised pub and kitchen looking to open its first California location, also will be opening
soon on the same area.
FIN-TASTIC LIBRARY CARD » The hottest new piece of San Jose Sharks gear isn’t a jersey or a hat but a San Jose Public Library card. The sleek black card with the Sharks’ famous logo — modeled after the team’s “stealth” jerseys — was launched with some fanfare a couple of weeks back by San Jose Library Director Jill Bourne, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Sharks President John Tortora and, of course, beloved mascot S.J. Sharkie.
Within the first week of the limited edition card’s public release on Feb. 4, nearly 2,700 have been issued. Bourne says one of the library’s goals is to increase the number of cardholders in the city — there are currently more than 533,000 — and partnerships like this seem like a smart way to do it.
Residents can become San Jose Public Library members at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library downtown or at any of the branches. And if you’re already a member, you can swap out your old card for a Sharks version while supplies last.
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS » The San Jose Museum of Art’s Community Day on Saturday will focus on celebrating the Year of the Boar. The free festivities, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include performances by the Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Rising Phoenix Lion Dance Association, a demonstration on Chinese calligraphy and kid-friendly art-making activities. Check it out at www.sjmusart.org for details.
And on Sunday, the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project will host its annual Chinese New Year Festival at History Park in San Jose. There will be activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. including lion dancers, storytelling, a flute concert and a parade. Go to www.chcp.org for more details.