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Bearings Bike Shop

Kids earn their bikes at Bearings Bike Shop in Atlanta’s Adair Park neighborhood.
Kids earn their bikes at Bearings Bike Shop in Atlanta’s Adair Park neighborhood.
By Angela K. Walker
Updated Sept 26, 2019

History: Bearings Bike Shop teaches life skills through bike repair and other programs to youngsters in the Adair Park neighborhood, while also giving them a chance to earn their wheels. It started more than a decade ago when Tim and Becky O'Mara gave a bike to a child who had earned it by doing chores.

Did you know: The bike shop sees hundreds of kids each year through programs that teach responsibility. The programs include Skills for Life, where kids earn points when they build and fix bikes; Frameworks, an eight-week summer internship for high school students; and Gearing Up, a mechanical curriculum where kids receive training and build essential life skills.

Its motto: "Give a kid a bike, and he will simply ride it. But let him earn the bike, and you can make him part of the community."

How you can help: Visit their wish list on Amazon to purchase needed items. Monetary donations go to expanding youth programs. Volunteers can connect on a regular basis during special events or fundraisers.

To learn more about Bearings Bike Shop and its fall fundraiser, visit bearingsbikeshop.org or call 404-484-4180.

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Angela K. Walker

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