$33,818 raised by 103 donors
100% complete
$30,000 Goal
Double Your Impact! Comfort Keepers will match your donation!
Our Mission: To ensure the most vulnerable do not become the least visible by bringing freedom, meaningful connections and joy to isolated, mobility challenged older adults and youth with special needs. Our volunteers give free wind in the hair trishaw experiences in Colorado's beautiful outdoors.
Trishaw: a unique 3-wheeled electric assist bicycle with a padded sit-down bench in front of the bike, designed to accommodate the needs of passengers with mobility or stability challenges and everyone with special needs who is otherwise unable to ride a bicycle and feel “wind in their hair.”
Our pilots are avid cyclists who propel the trishaw, keep passengers safe and provide conversation and companionship. Most of our pilots are retired and experience great joy in helping others.
Benefits: While on a trishaw our passengers experience:
Joy, a sense of freedom and belonging
Cognitive stimulation from nature - the fresh air, sunshine, birds, trees, etc
Socializing with pilots, trail users, local business owners and fellow passengers
A deep sense of pride in sharing this unique experience with their family and friends
Here's what one passenger shared:
Getting older and giving up activities we once loved is tough. It’s disheartening that so few recognize the loneliness and feelings of being dismissed as out of touch and in the way, which makes this stage of life even more challenging. But trishaw rides bring such joy and a sense that we still matter.
And one of our pilots shared:
I can honestly say that being a pilot for CWAL had helped maintain my sense of purpose in life. It is a joy to take my fellow humans on a ride that makes them happy and smile.
Impact: We are an all-volunteer nonprofit with over 130 volunteers and are on track to serve over 3,000 passengers by the end of 2024. Our trishaw experiences improve mental, cognitive and physical health, along with the quality of life and sense of purpose for our passengers and volunteers.
We recently completed a Social Return on Investment (SROI) study using a grant from the Beanstalk Foundation to measure how effectively we use our resources to create value. Every $1 we spend returns over $5 to the community. Most nonprofits contribute $3-$4 so we are very proud of our impact to the community.
DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT!
COMFORT KEEPERS WILL GENEROUSLY MATCH YOUR DONATION UP TO $30,000!
WHY WE FUNDRAISE
To keep our trishaws rolling and reach traditionally isolated populations who cannot ride a bike on their own, offering them the freedom of fresh air and connection in Colorado's beautiful outdoors. With more trishaws and increased volunteer capacity, we can make an even greater impact on those who need it most.
A new trishaw to expand our fleet: $15,000
Replacement batteries that power the trishaws: $1,000
Special sleigh blankets to keep our passengers warm and dry: $350
Replacement tires - needed quarterly: $300/trishaw
Hub: $250
Birthday/anniversary celebration supplies: $50 each; more than 70 held in 2023!
DONATE:
ONLINE:
Other Ways To Help: VOLUNTEER:
Volunteers provide the foundation on which Cycling Without Age Littleton is built. As a 100% volunteer organization, we provide a wide spectrum of opportunities for the community to participate in meaningful ways.
Schedule a Ride!
Contact: Jinny Netoles, Master Scheduler
Phone: 414-861-4877/Email: jbsnet50@gmail.com
CYCLING WITHOUT AGE LITTLETON
To ensure the most vulnerable do not become the least visible and to help volunteers be the best versions of themselves through ridership, volunteerism, and community support.
Cycling Without Age Littleton (CWAL), an all-volunteer nonprofit, was founded in 2019 and has grown significantly since then. In the first year, 12 rides were given with three volunteers piloting one trishaw. We now have 8 trishaws, over 130 volunteers, and are on track to serve over 3,000 passengers by year end 2024. This growth speaks volumes to the benefits of getting our isolated older adults and anyone with special needs out in nature, getting wind in their hair.
Every interaction with the people we serve is a chance to provide freedom and enjoyment from being in nature and out of isolation, to receive cognitive stimulation from engagement with nature and cross-generational conversations with pilots, trail users, local business owners and others.
Volunteer interaction with passengers has been shown to reduce anxiety, promote a sense of belonging, improve health and well-being, provide relaxation and bring joy to many! In addition, many riders who are older adults and anyone with disabilities feel a deep sense of pride when they can invite their family, friends and even grandchildren to enjoy such a unique event with them!
Organization name
Cycling Without Age Littleton
other names
CWAL
2019
Tax id (EIN)
84-4830327
Category
Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Health Care, Military & Veterans Organizations, Recreation & Sports, Mental Health & Crisis Intervention
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
6698 S. Iris Street #620711Jefferson County, CO, US
Arapahoe County, CO, US
Denver, CO, US
Douglas County, CO, US