For those who pass the outside of St. Mary's Episcopal Church on 39th Street and Locust Walk, the bike stationed next to the doorway might seem out of place. But a pull on the handbrake proves otherwise: it rings the doorbell to Neighborhood Bike Works, a bike shop/community after-school program located in the basement of one of the church buildings.
Once inside, the room looks like a cross between a warehouse and shop class. Rows of bike parts line the walls, and in the middle of the room sit stations for holding up bicycles to be fixed. Adults and kids alike frequently come and go, picking up bikes or attending a class.
Bike Works runs an after-school program dedicated to keeping the kids of West Philadelphia off the streets.
"The after-school time is very important, and it is the time when many kids can get in trouble," says Bike Works Executive Director Andy Dyson. "Bike Works is about getting kids on a bike, but more importantly, about youth development in general."
And Dyson's approach to reaching out to local young people is integral to the success of the program.
"My theory is that youth development should be focused on the children being an asset to the community, not a problem to be solved," Dyson said. "That is what we try to concentrate on."
The program -- which is funded by private foundations, corporate sponsors and a few private individuals -- offers classes six days a week for children, usually aged 8 to 15. The topics covered in these classes include bike repair and safety, fitness and nutrition, and environmental awareness.
In addition to the time spent in classes, children from schools in West Philadelphia can participate in volunteer work at the shop.
Once they accrue a certain number of hours of attendance -- usually from 20 to 75 -- they can use those hours to "buy" a bicycle or bike accessories for themselves.
Upon completion of the basic classes, they can come back for other activities, and some even become paid assistants.
"Each month, we serve about 50 to 75 kids," Dyson says, "and if you like kids and you like bikes, working or volunteering here is an incredible place to help the youth in the neighborhood."
Dyson, like all of the other full- and part-time employees of Bike Works, started as a volunteer.
"I think that really says something about the people that work here," he says. "It means that even if they weren't getting paid, they would still be here."
Bike Works was started in 1996 and moved to its present location in 2000 after initially being housed in the basement of a Penn-owned building on 42nd and Spruce streets.
Since its inception, Bike Works has not only been devoted to providing children with classes and a place to be after school, but it also offers several adult workshops at night and on the weekends.
"It's a fabulous resource for the community, and the youth really enjoy the program," Office Manager Cary Cuper says. "I've seen a lot of strong community alliances formed in my two years here."
While some of the adult programs are free, they do request a donation for the continuation of the program.
In addition, some of the bicycles that are not used by the kids are available to buy for a "donation" to the program.
When asked about the hardest part of his job, Dyson replies, "Keeping the program afloat financially is always challenging because we rely on private sponsorships. I always want more money so I can hire more of the people who have graduated to work for pay in our shop."
Look no further for the success of Bike Works than to one of the part-time workers in the shop, Kalvin Sampson.
Sampson is a 12th grader at West Philadelphia High School who took part in the Bike Works classes several years ago and began working part-time at the shop for pay in late 2002. His position affords him the chance to ride bikes with the children, as well as do some repair work in the shop.
"I like to see the kids' faces when they fix their bikes and also to see them graduate from the classes," Sampson says. "This program has kept me out of a lot of trouble."
