WOW!

What a way to begin a week. This morning, I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. This was a highly anticipated day- the  Bike Workshop, the non-profit bicycle program we run with our friends at the  Oasis Center, was one of three finalists in a $100,000 grant being offered by Humana, and the winner was to be announced. We gathered together in downtown Nashville, completely humbled to be a finalist in such a huge grant, surrounded by individuals who are working to make Nashville a better city. We knew that if, by some amazing chance, we won this grant, that our program would be forever changed!

Guess what? WE WON!

$100,000 is a lot of money, and the good people at Oasis are ready to put it to great use. Our immediate plans include a renovation of the current Workshop space, which is in the basement of the Oasis Center’s building on Charlotte Pike. The space does not have a bathroom, plumbing, or sufficient heat and air, so this renovation is in great need.

Next, the Workshop is going mobile! We have been daydreaming about a mobile workshop since the Workshop’s conception two years ago- and this grant will make our dream a reality. We will be buying a vehicle for the workshop and turning it into a fully functional bike repair shop on wheels. This will allow us to travel throughout town, reaching many more people than we currently are able to.

It is a great day! Here is a video about the Workshop that was made for the grant proposal: