RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)– A nonprofit organization in Richmond’s Southside that gives neighborhood kids access to bikes has suffered a major setback after someone stole thousands of dollars worth of tools and damaged their property.
Alexa Santisteban, Bellemeade Community Bike Shop’s manager, said they showed up to the shop in late November to find several work benches damaged and bike tools stolen.
“We had a corkboard with a bunch of tools that we had hung up and pretty much the whole top section was gone. What was left was your basic wrenches and stuff like that but almost everything else was taken,” they said.
Santisteban said about $3,000 worth of tools were taken.
The Bike Shop is on the city’s southside. Part of the Richmond nonprofit, Groundwork RVA, the program educates students on building and repairing bikes.
Since its inception in 2017, the program has handed out about 750 bikes to neighborhood youth so they can ride to school and hopefully increase attendance.
“The bike shop is really kind of a jewel in the community. It’s lovely to see all the bright and shiny new bikes and kids at Christmas and this, that and the other,” said Santisteban. “The bike shop is really a community asset that’s teaching young folks how to be safe with their bikes, but also more importantly how to take care of their bikes.”
Now, the program trying to recoup what was lost. Santisteban started gathering a list of tools that they needed to replace, so the community can help them get back on track. They said people have been donating several of the tools they need.
The program is also planning to renovate and expand the space by replace the damaged work benches and put in studs, as well as walls, storage space, and electricity.
“God gives you lemons. You make lemonade. There’s an opportunity. The community has been really supportive and outpouring in terms of replacing the tools and we’re hoping that the same thing will happen as we go out and try to find the funds to weatherize the bike shop,” Jones said.
Santisteban said they’ll be closed for a few months as they plan to rebuild in a bigger way.
“It just kind of was a shock to us that people would want to come and take the supplies that they know we use to help so many others around the neighborhood,” they said.
More information about Groundwork RVA and the Bellemeade Community Bike Shop can be found here.
