MCBC Volunteer Opportunity Descriptions

MCBC relies on its many volunteers to help us spread our mission-driven efforts ("to promote safe bicycling for everyday transportation and recreation") throughout the County. We need help with regular monthly projects, as well as for one-time events. Volunteers enjoy our casual and fun office environment in Fairfax, and good conversation with others. Our volunteer opportunities are advertised on our website, as well as in our weekly bulletin email.

Don't miss out on the chance to meet your neighbors while supporting community improvement activities! For all volunteering except Bike Parking, contact the MCBC Membership & Outreach Coordinator today to sign up: Jo Ann Richards, 415-456-3469 x 7#, or joann@marinbike.org. To volunteer for Bike Parking, contact Stephen Hesson at stephen@marinbike.org.

Our ongoing volunteer opportunities include:

Phone Calls

Help call members to attend local meetings, collect feedback on how MCBC is doing, invite lapsed members to renew; discuss ballot issues, special events, etc. You will have a script to follow; all you need to do is speak clearly and cheerfully!

Mailings

MCBC relies upon volunteers to help assemble mailings to members as follows:

• Renewal appeals: monthly, generally during office hours
• Pedal Press newsletter: quarterly, generally during office hours
• Post cards for special events as needed
• Annual fundraising campaign appeals

Outreach Materials Distribution

MCBC needs help to distribute newsletters, brochures, postcards and posters to predetermined local bike shops, libraries, community centers, and coffee shops. Distribution can be done on your bike!

• Pedal Press newsletter: quarterly
• Brochures, postcards, posters: as need arises throughout the year

Tabling Events

Help staff an MCBC information table at area festivals, recruitment events, safety equipment giveaways, Share the Road Checkpoints, the Marin Century rest stop, etc. by helping to transport, load/unload, set up/break down tabling materials and to staff the table during the event. If there are questions from the public that you cannot answer, you are able to refer people to the MCBC website or to the MCBC Outreach Coordinator's contact information.

Bike Parking

MCBC provides free valet bike parking throughout Marin County at key community events. Our volunteers help park the public's bikes, operate an MCBC information table, and recruit new members.MCBC sponsors’ promotional materials are distributed to the public, and new members are recruited. Valet bicycle parking has been a well-received and effective way for MCBC to encourage people to bicycle to community events since 1999.

Special Perks: Aside from the great opportunities for social interaction (and bike ogling), volunteers get free admission to the event. The event sponsors often provide free event t-shirts as well. Volunteers often get free non-alcoholic beverages and a free lunch (those who work a full day, from set-up to clean-up). Typical shifts are 3-4 hours long.

Bike Parking Information and Schedule

Newspaper Article Archivist

MCBC is looking for someone to spend approximately 8 hours per month cutting and pasting news articles about MCBC for permanent retention in our media binders. We need a volunteer with good finger dexterity, a well-developed visual design sense, someone who can cut straight edges, make corners square and avoid smudges.

Data Entry and Office Work

MCBC has a database of members, media contacts and other key resources that requires constant maintenance of addresses, phone/fax #s and e-mail addresses to keep them current.

We need occasional help with miscellaneous office work: compiling new-member packets, filing, and general office cleanup.

Are you an artist? We occasionally need help with graphic design work for special event posters, postcards, or marketing pieces.

Like to write? We need articles for the quarterly Pedal Press newsletter. If you have an idea for an article that you’d like to submit, let us know.

Bike to Work Day

Bike to Work Day is an annual celebration that promotes bicycling as a healthy, fun, and viable form of transportation. During May, we honor every kind of bicyclist out there, from new or leisure cyclists to bicycle hot-shots. This is the only day of the year when the Bay Area formally acknowledges bicycle commuters and encourages people to leave their cars at home and experience their commute on a bicycle.

MCBC hosts approximately 16 Energizer Stations around the County to cheer on and encourage the cycling commuters, some of whom are experiencing a carefree commute for the very first time. Volunteers gather before Bike to Work Day for a fun evening to meet other station hosts and stuff the musette bags. On the event day, volunteers set up the stations with tables, chairs, signage and tabling materials, and distribute giveaways and the ever-popular, goodie-filled musette bags. Stations usually operate for three hours (6 – 9 AM) with additional set-up and clean-up time required.

To host a station, please contact Jo Ann Richards, MCBC Bike to Work Coordinator at (415) 456-3469 x7# or e-mail joann@marinbike.org.

Parade Tunnel Team

During the annual parade season, MCBC broadcasts our “Re-Open the Tunnels!” message with our tunnel float. We have participated in the following parades:

• Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade
• Fairfax Festival Parade
• Twin Cities 4th of July Parade (Corte Madera & Larkspur)
• San Anselmo Community Festival

Volunteer help is needed to:

1. Assemble the Tunnel on Parade Day: Our float structure consists of a metal frame on wheels and wooden pieces that represent Marin tunnels. We have banners and graphic depictions of the elevation comparison (with and without the tunnel pathway) to attach to it. It takes about 1-1/2 hours to assemble the tunnel float.
2. Push the Tunnel on Parade Day! We need AT LEAST four people for this job. The Fairfax parade is the shortest distance and the Mill Valley and Twin Cities courses are about 1-1.5 miles long, so the more help the better.
3. Ride Bikes or Walk in the Parade and/or Carry Other Signs: To demonstrate the effectiveness of the tunnels, we need as many people as possible to ride/walk in the parade and through the tunnel. Four to six people on bikes gets the message across well. Finally, we have the MCBC banners to carry. We need two to four people for these carried items. Your kids, costumes, wheelchairs and fun bikes are all welcome! Members of the parade-viewing audience are invited to join the fun as the float passes by.

Rides

MCBC likes to facilitate use of our bicycle network through fun educational rides. If you’re interested in learning a route, getting familiar with the bike network, visiting projects that MCBC is working on, then let us know. Work with MCBC staff to determine a moderate route (20-40 miles for road, 10-20 miles off-road, 2-4 hours in length). Consider starting/ending at a bike shop location. The ride leader must have good cycling and bike mechanic skills. MCBC will advertise the ride to our members and will provide medical release forms for the event.

Big Bike Bash

The Big Bike Bash is MCBC’s annual member appreciation party. Each year, members gather to celebrate the bike/ped infrastructure and education progress made that year. The party generally features music, drinks, food, silent and live auctions, a raffle, and a short program. The focus of the 2008 party will be to celebrate MCBC’s 10 th anniversary.

Volunteers are needed to:

• help with pre-event coordination or graphic design;
• be the music DJ, bartender, kitchen helper and/or food server, greeter, or photographer;
• help set up the room’s tables/chairs, decorations, auction items, and bike parking;
• staff the registration or information table, or help pre-event to pick-up food and auction donations
• clean up and transport auction items/supplies to & from event site