One note stuck out over all the others. I'm paraphrasing here, but the basic message was:
Yeah, yeah, this was interesting and all, but what happened to:
- Good people doing great things
- Figuring out what we collectively want to accomplish in our community and then finding ways to make it happen no matter who or what is in our way
You know what? Those are two *great* points.
So, while I will still try to educate people on how the Unified Government works, I'm going to do my best to turn more of my attention back to good people doing great things and to all the game changing things we plan to accomplish in our community.
With that as background...here's another fantastic example of good people doing great things.
I had the distinct privilege this morning of sitting in on a strategic planning session for RevolveKC, an organization that is new to Kansas City, Kansas and has the potential to make a huge and very positive difference in our community.
The RevolveKC story started in August 2011 when Kansas City, Kansas native Elizabeth Bejan teamed up with colleague Theresa Van Ackeren to open a community nonprofit bike shop at 5100 Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.
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| Original location at 5100 Troost |
They started their work with a vision that, "Revolve acts on the belief that the bicycle is the simple solution for healthy lifestyles and affordable, earth-friendly transportation."
Through their shop they worked to collect donations of used bicycles, then refurbished them and put those good as new bikes in the hands of community residents...either through outright sales or through a free and very innovative Earn-a-Bike program.
In their first 15 months of operation, Elizabeth and Theresa sold 339 bikes at the Troost location and gave away 217.
Bolstered by their success on Troost, Elizabeth decided it was time to achieve another goal that is close to her heart. She began working to establish an outreach program aimed at getting free bicycles into immigrant (especially Latino) neighborhoods.
She looked all around Kansas City and realized that the neighborhood of her youth in the many blocks around 7th and Central was an ideal spot for such a program.
RevolveKC will open its second location very shortly at 554 Central Avenue. It will be the only dedicated bike shop in Kansas City, Kansas / Wyandotte County.
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| The storefront at RevolveKC's new location 554 Central Avenue |
While it's possible to earn a bicycle by donating time to the shop, I was particularly intrigued by the other opportunity in the Earn-a-Bike program where anyone aged 14 years and older can qualify for a bicycle at no cost by completing an online bike safety course and then demonstrating basic riding skills in an "on the road" evaluation.
To me, this is a very solid strategy because it not only puts bikes in the hands of people who can really use them, but it also equips those people with the knowledge and skills to be safe and responsible riders whether they are on deserted country trails or busy city streets. You can learn more about the Earn-a-Bike program on the RevolveKC web site.
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| RevolveKC has bikes ready for little people... |
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| ...and big people in their new shop. |
During this morning's strategic planning session, the RevolveKC Board of Directors cast a vision for how their organization is going to continue its growth and service to the community over the next 3-5 years. I have to say that it was absolutely invigorating to be with a group of people who are passionate about making a positive difference across our community and who take systematic and intentional steps to make their dreams come true.
I'm thrilled to welcome this hard-working and progressive group to District 2. I believe they will be another success story in the category of "good people doing great things".
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| RevolveKC Board of Directors |
Stay tuned for news about their official opening. In the meantime, I've only scratched the surface on the exciting story of RevolveKC. You can learn more:
- On their web site
- On their Facebook page
- In a great story that was published in the Kansas City Star Magazine in early December
One last thing before I close...
Help me reach more people (shameless self promotion)
I have to say that I've been quite excited over the past couple of days thinking of all the great stories that I can share about our community. I'd greatly appreciate it if those of you who read this blog would help me increase the size of my mailing list. Could forward the blog link to a friend or two and encourage them to join my mailing list?
The link is at the bottom of the page in every blog post. My goal is to have a new post about every 10 days, so I won't bug people very much with "notifications".
Thanks and have a great weekend!!!
~ Brian
bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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