Good Karma Bikes – brings Good Vibes

Good Karma Bikes (GKB) is a used bike shop in San Jose, right across from the train station close to the Sharks Arena. The meaning of Good Karma is “a result of good deeds done for others”, an appropriate name for this shop, because they donate so many bikes to those in need. They have been voted Silicon Valley’s Best Bike Shop eight years in a row. Last year they moved to a new location, by the train station and close to the Sharks arena.

My wife (Carolyn) and I are Service Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our responsibility is to visit non-profits throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, from Richmond to Monterey to learn what they are doing and determine if we can help in some way. The church’s focus for grants in our area is to help the homeless, immigrants, abused women and with food insecurity.

Last year we visited with Jim Gardner, who started Good Karma Bikes. Jim has a PHD in physics, worked for several Silicon Valley companies, but he was not fully satisfied that he was doing good for humanity. In 2008, he saw a man with a rickety bike, he took his tools and started to repair bikes for those in need, it eventually ballooned and in 2009, he was fixing bikes in parking lots, in 2012 he was able to move into his first permanent location. Last July, he moved into their current location, where they receive donated bikes, use volunteers to fix them and sell some which helps keep the lights on and donate others to people in need. This past year they sold over 800 bikes but gave away 1,023. A humanitarian grant from the church to help purchase bicycle parts assisted the organization in their mission of helping people on the road to self-reliance. In our follow-up visit to GKB last week, we found a retail shop with lots of inventory, a very nice workshop where volunteers were fixing bikes and a good karma feeling throughout the organization.

GKB is especially desirous to help those who are working toward self-reliance, such as refugees, the homeless and those trying to better their station in life. They like to partner with organizations that are helping those in need. The Muslim Community Center in Pleasanton helps newly arrived immigrants by providing assistance in setting up their hew residences, they have been able to partner with GKB to provide bikes giving their clients much needed transportation.

The San Jose South Stake of the church held a community service event last September and attendees brought many unused bikes to donate. Attendees at this year’s event will again be able to donate used and broken bikes to Good Karma, as well as participate in several other service projects.

Anyone with an interest in repairing bikes can volunteer, groups can hold bike drives, and any other nonprofit needing bikes for their people in need can contact Good Karma. If you’re looking for a like-new used bike, you will get a great deal at GKB where they have the best prices around, they also provide life-time free repairs at their Saturday Free Clinics. More information about GKB is at www.GoodKarmaBikes.org.