Volunteer with Bikes Not Bombs!
Bikes Not Bombs simply couldn't function without our tremendous volunteer support. There are many ways to get involved:
- Register for Volunteer Night, held every Wednesday from 6-9 PM, EXCEPT for the last Wednesday of the month.
- Apply to work with us on a longer term basis in a more specialized role as a Volunteer Apprentice. Roles include: Volunteer Bike Refurb Mechanic, Volunteer Bike Instructor, Administrative Volunteer, and more.
- Help out at a special event, such as a container loading, bike drive, or the Bike-A-Thon.
Stay up to date with all of our volunteer opportunities when you sign up on Bloomerang Volunteer with Bikes Not Bombs! This platform hosts all of our volunteer opportunities and allows you to:
- View and sign up for shifts
- Pick specific jobs and tasks within one shift
- Track your hours, waivers, qualifications, and contact information all in one place!
If you are volunteering on site, please wear clothing that you don't mind getting dirty; closed-toed footwear is required to ensure the safety of all program participants.
Volunteer Night
Volunteer Night runs on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-9:00 PM EXCEPT for the last Wednesday of the month. Any schedule changes will be posted on our volunteer portal, Bloomerang Volunteer. Pre-registration is required.
Spots are guaranteed for up to 10 registrants. If you would like to bring a group of 6 or more people, please consider scheduling a Volunteer Group.
Need-to-Know information:
- Pre-registration is required. Click here to do so.
- All skill-levels and ages are welcome! Youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Try to wear clothes that can get dirty. Closed-toed footwear is required to ensure the safety of all program participants.
- Occasionally, Volunteer Night will be canceled due to weather or a holiday. Such cancelations will appear in our events list on the home page.
Work may include the following common tasks:
- "Flattening" bikes -- turning the handle bars sideways and the pedals inside-out so that the bikes fit easily into a shipping container to send overseas in our international programs.
- "Stripping" bikes -- taking all the parts off of a frame (needs to be done for bikes that have some broken pieces).
- Sorting parts
- Building up bikes
- General cleaning, housekeeping, and other tasks!
A volunteer coordinator will show you what to do, and no experience is required for Volunteer Night!
Bike-A-Thon Volunteers
We will recruit volunteers for our 38th Annual Bike-A-Thon, scheduled for June 8th 2025. Volunteer roles include: assisting with our valet bike parking, setting up the event materials at Stony Brook Field, or staffing the rest stops along our routes.
Volunteer Apprenticeships
Bikes Not Bombs offers unique volunteer apprenticeship opportunities for people interested in a longer term commitment. Please click on each title to view more details on how to apply on Bloomerang Volunteer.
- Administrative Volunteer - Provide general administrative support, engage the cycling and social justice community to grow our base of supporters. More details coming soon!
- Bike Instructor - Share your love of biking by teaching mechanics or riding skills to others in the community. Prospective volunteers must:
- Be able to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information [CORI] check
- Attend an Volunteer Orientation session to learn more about this role. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday March 19th from 6 to 7pm.
- Bike Refurb Mechanic - Build up recycled and refurbished bicycles for sale and for use in our distribution and education programs. Prospective volunteers must:
- Attend a Volunteer Orientation session to learn more about this role. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday February 19th from 6 to 7pm.
- Have their mechanic skills assessed by a BNB staff member. This will most likely take place during your orientation session!
How to apply:
- Sign up for the Opportunity you are interested in on Bloomerang Volunteer.
- For each Opportunity you're interested in, schedule yourself for a Volunteer Orientation session as a General Volunteer.
- Once you have completed an orientation session and any other requirements (such as a background check), BNB staff will update your 'Qualifications' on Bloomerang Volunteer.
- Once you're qualified, sign up for shifts that match your schedule!
Volunteer Groups
- We can accommodate smaller groups (of 5 or fewer people) joining us on Volunteer Night, or;
- Larger groups are encouraged to reach out to schedule a stand-alone volunteer event.
Please schedule groups with us at least 2 weeks in advance.
Due to our limited capacity, not all group volunteering requests can be accommodated, but we will do our best to work with you! Please fill out the following form to request a time for your large (5+ people) volunteer group and contact Julia Karr at julia@bikesnotbombs.org with any questions.