Kids Need Bikes

Our Mission

Giving local foster kids and underprivileged youth the freedom and joy of a bicycle.

Many foster children enter care with the clothes on their back and little else. While meeting basic needs is imperative, so is helping kids feel loved, accepted and capable. A bike is a gift that offers physical activity, the opportunity to meet and play with friends and even transportation to school or an after-school job.

Our Impact

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, since 2013 we have donated over 1,700 new bikes and helmets to the following organizations:

KidVantage

KidVantage helps children have what they need to grow, play, thrive and learn. They work with partner organizations to provide essential care, safety and health goods for children and families in need.

Treehouse

Treehouse serves 7,000 foster youth in the greater Seattle area and provides services and opportunities to help them succeed and plan for the future.

Holly House

Holly House is a children's holiday gift program, which provides basic necessities and gifts for low income children in the Edmonds school district. They currently serve over 2,200 children in Snohomish county.

Neighborhood House

Neighborhood House is one of the oldest social service agencies in the Puget Sound region. They provide support and self sufficiency services to over 12,000 community members with a focus on low income, public housing, immigrant and refugee families.

Friends of Youth

Friends of Youth is an organization dedicated to developing, providing and advocating for services for children, youth and their families. They assist homeless youth, those struggling with chemical dependency and mental health, as well as child welfare.

Feedback from our partners

We love getting feedback from the programs who are helping us bring our bikes to kids who need them most. Our amazing partners at Treehouse sent us this note:

I just wanted to circle back with you to thank you once again for sending those bikes over, and to share with you some of the impact they’ve had on our youth. Below are a few stories that our families and staff have shared with us:

“Summer is here and so is the fun! Today we had a 10 year old little girl who was a 1st time shopper in the Wearhouse. She had never had a bike before and was able to come and receive one here at the Wearhouse! Her bike came with a matching puppy and helmet! This summer not only is she riding in style she also has a new riding buddy!”

“We love the expression that all our Wearhouse youth have when it comes to style. There were a bunch of helmets that were given out today with bikes. As well were given out for youth to stay safe this summer while riding around. We had a 7 year old little boy who was able to take home a Frozen crowned helmet today! He wore it all around the store and wore it out the door. The excitement and grin on his face was a big win for today!”

“One of our ed specialist today picked up a rad bike for their youth today! The youth was unable to make it to class on time on public transportation. Now the youth has a great bike and can make it to 1st period on time!”

“All of our clients that come through the Wearhouse have very unique talents and interests. One of our ed specialists shared with us that one of her youth was interested in BMX. Thanks to Kids need Bikes, we were able to set a perfect bike aside for a specific youth to help them fulfil their dreams and cater to their hobbies outside of school. It also gave them an opportunity to share their passion for BMX with their friends and close family members.”

Again, I just wanted to share a small fraction of the impact your gesture has on our youth. You work hard to put everything together for us, yet we get to see the smile and joy that the bikes bring to our families.

Thanks to all of YOU for your continued donations and support. We are all making a difference in these kids lives!

Latest from the blog

posted by Amy Hayes | 41sc
October 25, 2019

Give some bike love!

This holiday we're partnering with Treehouse and Holly House to bring their youth a little bike love! These organizations provide an incredible support system for foster families and low income children and strive to meet their basic needs. Our mission is to go one step beyond that and provide the gift of a bike to the families they serve. Bikes give children freedom, independence, confidence, socialization and often times transportation to a job or program after school for older youth. With the increase of anxiety, stress and mental health issues in our children, it becomes imperative that we give them a healthy, physical and mental outlet. A new bike and helmet cost us $50, but no donation is too small! All donations go to the purchase of bikes and helmets for kids. If you have room in your holiday giving this year, we would really appreciate your support. Thanks for giving a little bike magic this year! :) Tom and Amy
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posted by Amy Hayes | 41sc
October 31, 2018

Our holiday bike drive is here!

This holiday season we're teaming up with Treehouse and Friends of Youth to give their kids some bike magic! We've committed to giving over 200 bikes to these amazing organizations and we need your help to do it. A new bike and helmet cost us $50, but no donation is too small and every dollar gets us closer to our goal. If you have room in your holiday giving this year, please consider donating to Kids Need Bikes! Thank you for your support!
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posted by Amy Hayes | 41sc
June 08, 2018

It's (almost) Summer!

Summer reminds us of popscicles, playing outside until dark and cruising the neighborhood on two wheels. It's a great time of year to gift a bike to a child in need. We've partnered with Treehouse and Friends of Youth this time to provide 64 bikes and helmets to the kids they serve just in time for Summer. For $50 you can give a child the joy of a bike and the safety of a helmet! Thank you for supporting us and helping to make summer a little bit brighter for these kids!
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posted by Amy Hayes | 41sc
November 13, 2017

More bikes? More bikes!

It's pretty hard to say no when one of your favorite organizations asks for a little help! Every holiday season Treehouse provides an amazing program, Holiday Magic, for its foster youth and their families. Foster youth that are 18 or over and still receive services from the state are eligible for this program. Families, social workers or care givers can request a gift for the youth in their care through this program and the gift will be sent directly to them. It's a great way to reach and support foster youth outside the greater Seattle area. This season, we learned that their gift inventory is low and so Kids Need Bikes has committed to giving them 100 additional bikes for this program. We need to raise funds for 300 bikes for kids and we're going to need your help to do it! Whether you donate, volunteer, or spread awareness by liking us on facebook or sharing our page, you are making a difference in the lives of these kids. Let's get rolling!
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posted by Amy Hayes | 41sc
October 26, 2017

Holiday Bike Drive 2017!

We're ramping up for our holiday bike drive and we need your help! The plan is to give 200 bikes and helmets to two amazing local organizations, Treehouse and Holly House. Both serve underprivileged youth in the greater Seattle area. A bike and helmet cost us about $50, so it doesn't take much to get these kiddos rolling! Whether you can donate your time or cash, we and especially the kids, appreciate your help!
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