We’re grateful to take a moment to reflect on all we’ve been able to accomplish together. Thank you for being such an important part of the Good Karma Bikes Family! 2024 is going to be a special year. We’re glad you’re along for the ride. Together, we pay it forward.

BIG GREEN SPRING SOCIAL

We kicked off the spring season with a St. Patrick’s themed “Big Green Social.” Our socials are a great way to bring our community together to hear updates from our CEO, Jim Gardner and our Board Chair, Taurean Dyer. Everyone mixed and mingled and had great time connecting over beer and appetizers. Be sure to watch our upcoming events page for this year’s date which will be announced in the next few weeks.

NEIGHBORHOOD HANDS PARTNERSHIP

Beginning in the spring, we began to support Neighborhood Hands, a nonprofit connecting homeless individuals with their neighborhood by offering dignified, no-barrier-to-entry opportunities for positive social connection and support while beautifying public spaces.

The vast span of homeless encampments along San Jose’s Guadalupe River trail is a site that is difficult to take in. These individuals are struggling to survive and genuinely feel they have nothing left of value. We provide a free mobile clinic, joining roughly a dozen other nonprofit partners to offer support. The goal is to help these individuals improve their quality of life and eventually access employment and low-income housing. At each event, we granted bikes to our friends in-need and provided countless hours of free service.

Viva Calle San Jose x 3

It was another great year supporting our community at Viva Calle San Jose. Viva Calle is a temporary event that takes place three times a year that shuts down miles of San Jose neighborhood streets to bring communities together to walk, bike, skate, play, and explore the city like never before.

We are so happy to partner with the City of San Jose for this amazing event. You’ll find us set up downtown at a different location each time – fixing up bikes for free, engaging with our community and spreading the good karma that we are all about. Many of our volunteers at this event come to us through our affinity programs – learning the basics of bike mechanics, bonding for the greater good of giving back to our community.

Not only are we connecting people geographically and demographically. We are building community and making life long friendships in the process. Sold? Come join us. Register for a free repair clinic or learn how you can help. Watch for upcoming events on our website and be sure to follow us on Instagram.

GOOD KARMA BIKES AND THE SJ GIANTS PACK THE PARK!

Good Karma Bikes was selected as the beneficiary of the San Jose Giants Park Packer program against the Fresno Grizzlies on June 4th. Our community Was offered $12 tickets and 15% of the proceeds were donated back to us to support our programs. We hope to continue this partnership with them and make it a bigger success in 2024. Check our upcoming events page in the Spring for updates!

BARCLAY’S BANK NAMES GKB TOP TEN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

This summer, Barclay’s Bank named GKB one of the Top Ten social enterprises in the United States (the only from California). Over 15,000 nonprofits applied for this honor. With the help of our community we were voted into the top ten and received a $5,000 grant to support our programs.

FAREWELL LINCOLN, HELLO SOUTH MONTGOMERY!

In July, with the help of our loyal volunteers and community, we moved into our new location at 82 South Montgomery.  A one minute walk from public transit, this location is much easier for our clientele to access. If you haven’t been by to see us, please come in! We are open Tuesday-Sunday 12-5pm.

In October, we held a grand opening party in our parking lot with several friends, customers, donors, and volunteers. Thank you to everyone who came out to help us celebrate! We enjoyed great food from Tlaxiaco’s Pizza truck and upbeat jams from Identity Problem. We would like to say a special thank you to Senator Dave Cortese, who presented our CEO, Jim Gardner and Board Chair, Taurean Dyer with Certificate of Recognition in honor of our service to the community. A special thank you to Patagonia, Palo Alto for donating some wonderful items for our guests. Lastly, thank you to our loyal volunteers and donors for which this work would not be possible.

FREE AFFINITY NIGHTS RETURN

We partnered with Downtown West Creekside Socials to present our free affinity nights! A safe space to learn basic bike repair at your own pace, our programs emphasize inclusion, access, and community. Instruction includes basic skill development in common roadside repairs and mechanical safety. Bring your own bike or learn on one of ours. We currently offer Women’s Night, LGBT+ Night, and Noche Española. 2024 dates coming soon. 

10,000 BIKES GRANTED!

Good Karma Bikes is inspired by the idea that everyone should have access to affordable transportation. Since 2009, your support has helped over 48,000 people in need of affordable transportation. In October, we granted our 10,000th bike! Thank you for your valuable contributions that make this work possible. Please consider a gift that will impact so many low-waged workers, veterans, and unhoused residents that depend on your help.