MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Nov. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, hosted a bike drive with all donations benefitting Keystone Community Services’ Youth Social Enterprise Program, Express Bike Shop. TopLine members, employees and community members dropped off their bikes and bike parts to help local youth. As the drive wrapped up, TopLine collected a total of 157 bikes.
The bicycle donations supported Express Bike Shop that specializes in refurbished bicycles and is also a youth employment program under the Keystone Community Services non-profit umbrella. The bike shop thrives in large part from the generosity of donors. Bicycle donations are needed to provide the inventory for youth to refurbish and sell, and supports the 200-hour apprenticeship program giving youth real-world entrepreneurship experience running a bike shop.
Keystone’s Youth Apprenticeship Employment Program, is a youth directed social enterprise serving as a learning larb for young people entering the workplace, with all revenue reinvested back into the program. This youth development and entrepreneurial training program teaches young people real world job skills and provides employment opportunities as paid apprentices.
Youth who participate in the program gain a valuable “first job” experience that emphasizes work readiness skills and an entrepreneurial spirit in a fun, engaging and team-building format. The multi-session curriculum consists of mini-lessons, group challenges and off-site filed studies to reinforce concepts. Each apprentice is required to work 200-plus hours and at the end of the program becomes certified in bicycle repair and small business skills.
"We would like to thank our amazing members and devoted employees for donating bikes to support the youth in our community,” says Mick Olson, TopLine President and CEO. “All contributions are helping to empower young people through a social enterprise employment program, giving them valuable skills, opportunities, and confidence. Together, we are making a lasting difference in their lives.”
Express Bike Shop is a full-service bike shop specializing in refurbished bikes, repair and new and used components. The bike shop, located at 1158 Selby Ave in St. Paul, accepts bike donations of all kinds and uses these donations to train young people on how to fix and refurbish bikes for resale. Plus, youth gain valuable experience operating a small business, like daily shop responsibilities including assisting customers, preparing the bank deposit, and ordering and stocking items in the retail area, as well as completing a Bicycle Repair Certification. Since 1995, over 400 young people have successfully completed a paid apprenticeship at Express Bike Shop. Visit www.exbike.com to learn more.
TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota’s 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul’s Como Park — as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com or www.ahcu.coop. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union’s foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.
CONTACT:
Vicki Roscoe Erickson
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
TopLine Financial Credit Union
verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ba0d5f2-7c7f-4a88-b2e3-6c01b6872259
