Thanks for your interest in volunteering at the Bike Kitchen! We welcome volunteers of any skill level. The Bike Kitchen is a 100% volunteer-run organization — we depend on the generous efforts of volunteers. Your role as a volunteer will be defined by your specific skills and interest, and we regularly have volunteer tasks that require no mechanical experience.
Why volunteer with us?
Our shop is open to everybody, regardless of what they can or cannot afford, and some parts or the cost of a membership can be earned through volunteering. 6 hours of volunteer time will get you a one-year membership, and 12 hours will earn you digging rights to build a complete bike. We also offer community service credit for school.
How do I volunteer
Simply drop into the shop 15 minutes before a shift open hours to start volunteering. We take volunteers on a strictly first come, first served basis. We typically cannot take more than three or four volunteers during any one shift, so arriving at the shop as close to the beginning of a shift as possible is best. Please be prepared to volunteer for a minimum of one hour.
Can I volunteer as a mechanic?
Absolutely! If you are an experienced mechanic, we almost always have a place for you to drop in, regardless of how many other volunteers we have that day. Please visit our wiki page at to read about the mechanic requirements, and feel free to drop into the shop at any time to speak with one of us and jump in.
I love you guys & I wanna become staff!
If you are familiar with the shop and are interested in volunteering to become staff, please visit the Becoming Staff section of our Handbook to learn more. In addition to having mechanics, we are also always looking for committed folks to train as a shift greeter. This role is vital to our shop and requires the ability to accurately answer all questions regarding our donations, membership, bike tagging, and parts sale/trading policies, in addition to signing folks in.
If you have additional questions about how volunteering works, simply drop into the shop during open hours or email volunteer [at] bikekitchen [dot] org. To learn more about how the organization runs, check out our wiki.