I just got the Bike Works annual report in the mail. It’s a tiny document with some big numbers on it. 391 adults volunteered for Bike Works at some point in 2011, and 3,556 bikes were donated. Wow.

Seattle Bike Blog’s shameless pro-Bike Works bias is no secret. But even with as much time I spend writing about how great they are, some of these numbers surprised me. There’s a whole lot of community building and bike love happening in that little yellow house in Columbia City.

For those not familiar with Bike Works, the crux of all they do is in support of their empowering youth programs. Whether it’s the after-school earn-a-bike program or a youth bike tour to California or BMX camp (which starts today!), Bike Works teaches kids to be confident problem solvers in a positive environment.

And to top it off, they fund a big portion of the programs through their awesome community bike shop, which repairs and sells bikes at remarkably affordable prices. If you have never been, swing by (and bring your bike-searching friend). It’s a special place.

If you want to get involved, Bike Works could use some more volunteers for Saturday’s Jefferson Park Jubilee and July 28th’s Seattle Century. Email Liz and let her know when you have time. No special skills required.