Underserved Teens Restore, Refurbish, and Sell Bikes, with Proceeds Benefiting Program
October 17, 2018 – Daro Management has tackled a challenge many residential communities face – overpopulated bike storage rooms with abandoned and inoperable bikes taking up much of the space. In search of an innovative way to recycle – or upcycle – the many bikes in their inventory, Daro teamed up with Gearin’ Up Bicycle, an organization that equips DC-area youth with tools for success through job training and experiential education.
Carissa Barry, President of Daro Management, described the endeavor: “As part of our social responsibility endeavors as a community, our team at Daro and our residents consistently seek and embrace green initiatives and ways to give back to the greater community. We wanted to donate the bikes that were left behind, and find them all good homes, but that would not be possible until we could first find a way to repair them. In that search, we found that Gearin’ Up Bicycle could not only provide a platform to repair and recycle our abandoned bikes for reuse, but they could also do so in a way that would provide even more positive and lasting dividends by providing training and experiential education to youth in our greater community.”
Sterling Stone, Executive Director of Gearin’ Up Bicycle, continued: “I was eager to help Carissa when she came to us with Daro’s dilemma. Many of the unwanted bikes were in disrepair and couldn’t be donated in their current condition. Problems like these are ideal for us to solve. Our youth trainees and apprentices at Gearin’ Up Bicycle shop are teenagers from underserved communities. They are eager to learn how to rebuild and refurbish these bikes before selling them, and they generally enjoy and thrive when offered an opportunity to build essential work skills and collaborate in our program.”
All revenue from the sale of the refurbished bikes is reinvested to support ongoing programming and apprentices at Gearin’ Up Bicycle.
Daro was founded in 1935 by Dunbar A. Rosenthal. The 83-year-old company employs 50 professionals across ten revitalized historic properties and is known as a top owner-managed firm in the Metropolitan DC area. In 2013, Daro began operating under new management leadership with an infusion of capital into the portfolio and a focus on strong customer service and. Daro is proud to offer its tenants the charm and grandeur of DC’s historic properties alongside the comfort of modern amenities and class-A service. Daro’s management also takes pride in its sustainability program, aimed at preserving and rehabilitating historic properties so that they operate with the highest efficiency and least environmental footprint possible.
Gearin’ Up Bicycles is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that equips DC-area youth with tools for success through job training and experiential education. These programs are possible with revenue from its community bicycle shop, which sells refurbished bicycles, as well as workshops and special events that engage the DC community.
