The Westbrook Bicycle Project began when Westbrook’s Student Resource Officer, Brett Morava asked if we had a bike we could donate to a student who was struggling to get to and from school. We fixed one up, posed for a photo for Westbrook PD’s social media, handed it off, and we didn’t think much of it.
Soon after, word spread throughout the town. We started getting countless donated bikes from community members, and everybody said the same thing: “Give this to a kid who needs it.”
Not long after that first bike, Westbrook High School provided us with space to grow the program. We began teaching a once-weekly bicycle mechanic class with Compass students (alternative education) and created an after-school program for any student who needs a bike or needs help repairing their own; completely free of charge. Students get to choose a bike from the donations, we show them what goes into a full tune-up to make it safe and rideable, and they get to take it home with a helmet generously donated by The Michael Goulet Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides free helmets across the state of Maine.
Within the first year, the Westbrook Police Department recognized us with a Community Policing Award for helping launch and grow the Westbrook Bicycle Project, highlighting our role in turning a single bike donation into a community-wide program that supports local students & families. We were also featured in a local news interview, platforming the impact this program is having on our community.
This year, we’ve been expanding our focus to helping the Compass students give back to their community. They’ve been repairing children’s bikes to donate to toy drives and nonprofits in Westbrook. In the first three months of the school year, students restored 8-10 kids’ bikes that were donated to the Santa Cause Toy Drive at the Westbrook Community Center!
Our hope for the Westbrook Bicycle Project is to teach more than just bike repair. We aim to build mechanical problem-solving skills, confidence, and independence, while showing kids how meaningful (and cool) it can be to give back to their community.
How can you help?
The Westbrook Bicycle Project is always open to donations of bicycles or anything bike-adjacent. As of right now, this is a self-funded program, so any donations are extremely helpful. Whether it’s bikes, parts, or helmets. If you’d like to donate directly, there is an account at Ernie’s Cycle Shop for the Westbrook Bicycle Project.