Spotlight: Phoenix Bikes

Every day this week, Patch is profiling a local nonprofit agency. If there's a nonprofit that you think your neighbors need to know about, email Doug Tallman or Lauren Sausser.

Mission: "Phoenix Bikes empowers youth to become social entrepreneurs through direct participation in a financially and environmentally sustainable nonprofit bike shop that serves the community."

Contact Information: Phone: (703) 575-7762; Address: 4200 S. Four Mile Run Dr., Arlington; Website: http://phoenixbikes.org

Financials: According to the nonprofit's 2010 tax filing, Phoenix Bikes reported a total of $118,000 in expenses and $134,000 in revenue.

History: According to Phoenix Bikes' website, "In March 2007, Phoenix Bikes opened its doors in Barcroft Park, Arlington, Va., as a nonprofit organization. With the fire of a dedicated group of citizens and cyclists, the shop grew from the ashes of Community Spokes, a community bike shop sponsored by the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Though we have accomplished much already within the walls of our small brick building in the park, additional plans for growth include increasing our supply of bikes to local families and employment centers, creating a mobile bike shop, and enriching our leadership curriculum with mentoring and other training opportunities."

How you can help: Phoenix Bikes welcomes volunteers with all sorts of talents including teaching, riding, Web development, community outreach and fixing bikes. For more information on how to volunteer, visit their Volunteer webpage. There are other ways to support Phoenix Bikes, too. Here is a list of the organization's top 5 needs.