BUFFALO, N.Y. — GObike Buffalo is launching a new coffee blend to benefit its programs and 716 Ministries.
HIGH GEAR coffee is roasted in Buffalo. By selling it, GObike Buffalo will be able to help more people gain independence and the skills they need to maintain their bikes.
"The fact that it's roasted locally. It's delicious. It's a medium roast to really caffeinate you. We call it HIGH GEAR for that reason," said Kevin Heffernan, GObike Buffalo's communications director.
GObike, a group that advocates for mobility, is getting into coffee. The organization is getting help from 716 Ministries after they connected at the United Way's Pitch10 event.
"As part of their workforce development here in the city, they roast coffee, and they do that with other organizations to do fundraisers," Heffernan said.
Sales of HIGH GEAR benefit GObike Buffalo's many programs.
"We donate about 350 bikes a year to children in need. We also have open shops where people can come at little to no cost to maintain their bikes," Heffernan said. "We have a program called Sisters Cycling that works with refugee women getting them confidently riding and maintaining their bikes. Recycle a bike, working with local school kids building and maintaining bikes, and they almost have a fleet for their school to use."
And, the list goes on, including a mobile repair unit.
"We can pack up a U-Haul with a ton of parts, equipment, and then we'll set up a tent and everybody brings their bike to us, and again, that's mostly children coming with a bike with a flat that they've been trying to ride anyways, and we'll get that fixed for them, we'll make sure it's safe to ride, re-inflate those tires. Oftentimes give them a helmet and lights, too," Heffernan said.
GObike has also expanded its mission since it started around 2010.
"Now we're doing street redesign and road redesign to increase safety. You know, a lot of people want to ride, but they look at the roads around them and they think like, ugh, it doesn't feel safe. So what GObike does is instead of calling for, you know, more enforcement hoping things improve, we know that redesigning a road for safety has a much greater effect and it welcomes a lot more people who would like to ride onto the roads because they feel safer," Heffernan said.
The coffee runs about $18 a bag, and you can get it online or at GObike's 313 Broadway location in Buffalo.