How to Get Involved at Sopo

Sopo is a mostly volunteer operation. We need your skills, energy, creativity, and whatever time you have to give, no matter how small. We are in the process of developing a formal volunteer plan, but don't hold out. Come on down to the shop and tell us you're here to help.

At the shop, we keep a list of short-term and ongoing tasks, and folks always need assistance with their maintenance issues. Below is a list of Things To Do, which includes administrative activities, too!

If you are interested in learning about bicycle maintenance so you can help others (and yourself), please scroll down to: How to learn more about bike maintenance.

Remember: Sopo is a safe community space that strives to be welcoming to all kinds of people at all times. As a volunteer, you are asked to lead by example. Please avoid putting people down, suggesting that you are smarter because you know more about bicycles, using derogatory language, assuming someone knows less about bicycles due to their demographics, and taking tools away from people. Everyone is here to learn, make friends, and try new things. Let's help each other out by being friendly and patient.

What Can You Do as a Volunteer at Sopo?

In the shop, you can be a:

Mechanic.. Be of assistance to shop visitors. Help them in a way that allows them to get their hands dirty. Encourage them to do most of the work. If you are not helping anyone in particular at a given moment, make yourself available, keep an eye out for improper tool use, or take a break. This is hard work.

Greeter..
Greet everyone who comes in the shop and make sure they sign in. Ask if they've been to the shop before and if they need anything in particular. Explain how the shop works. Direct the visitor to an available volunteer mechanic as necessary.

Bike Manager (Claimed and Available)..
Check claimed bicycle tags. If the date on the tag indicates that the bicycle has not been worked on in a month, call the owner to verify whether they still want the bike and tell them that they must come back to work on it or take it home this week. Otherwise, it will become "Available" again. Check Available tags. If a bikes has been sitting around for more than three months, consider it a dead bike. Strip it for parts and sort into scrap.

Recycler..
Sort recycling into appropriate bins and take out as necessary.

Bike Picker-Upper..
Pick up bicycle donations from locations around Atlanta.

Outside of the shop, you can be a:

Project leader or project committee member..
Sopo has several programs outside of the shop, and all need volunteer participation in different ways. Programs include: youth programming, disability programming, homeless programming, and bicycle rack installation. We need volunteers to interact with participating communities, fundraise for these programs, develop these programs, and more. Ask for more information about a specific program if you are interested in helping.

Fundraiser..
We need help with our fundraising events, grant seeking, direct solicitation, and other fundraising activities, including creating, inventorying, and selling merchandise.

Media/PR Volunteer.. Contribute to our shop blog, write press releases for important announcements, contribute to our newsletter, and help keep lines of communication open between Sopo and various news outlets.

Designer.. Make flyers, brochures, posters, t-shirts, and more.

How to learn more about bike maintenance

Everyone learns differently and at a different pace. Sopo offers a variety of educational methods, which you may combine as needed:

• Apprentice with a knowledgeable volunteer,
• Complete small repairs on nearly complete donated bikes,
• Strip donated bikes,
• Offer to learn along with a drop-in shop participant (manuals are available),
• Request a specific workshop, which we will host if enough people sign up, and
• Use the BICAS youth manual to learn each repair on your own bicycle or with a donated bicycle in the shop.