There are some really amazing people who volunteer at the Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange. This month, meet Carol M. Carol has been volunteering at the exchange for 9 years, and was originally introduced to the group by Doreen Y.
After volunteering for awhile, she decided that working at support tasks would be a good way to contribute. She assists with sign-ins, donations, and just about everything else. Over the years she has learned about tools and processes and is often able to help volunteers find what they need. She likes talking to donors and learning about what brings them to us.
Carol grew up in Wisconsin riding bikes. In the early 70s she bought her first 10-speed, a Schwinn Le Tour, and taught herself about bicycle repair by reading Anybody's Bike Book.
From 1974 to 1978 she served in the Army as a Meteorological Observer working with weather rockets at the White Sands Missile Range, and got started in computer tech. She then went on to college, earned a BS in Computer Science, and found a job in California working for Amdahl Corp.
During a stint at HP, she learned to create websites, and today works as a freelance Web Developer.
Carol still has her Schwinn Le Tour, which is now her grocery getter. She also has a Trek 2210 that she bought while taking a break from volunteering at the Bicycle Exchange booth at a swap meet in 2012.
As for hobbies, she likes gardening, hiking and photography. She hopes to find ways to continue backpacking in remote areas for as long as possible.
Learn more about the superstars who keep SVBE rolling through our previous featured volunteer spotlights!