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.

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.