Your Community
Your Voice
“I originally joined MoBo so I could learn to repair my bike, but quickly found much more than expected. I discovered a very diverse and caring community, and a doorway into the cycling culture of Cincinnati. Come on in!”
Joel Davenport
“What I like most about GAVG is the ability to sow seeds freely and watch them grow. I tell everyone I know and those I want to know where you can grow your own food and love it! Unlike other places, you are free to come and go when you want. You meet new like-minded people (gardeners) and get a lot for the cost. I enjoy doing what I do and I enjoy showing somebody else how to do it.”
Sharon Mithu
“I am Xavier, I come from Switzerland and lived in Montreal and Southern California before moving to Northside in December of 2017. I used my bicycle to commute to work in California and was looking for a way to do some maintenance. I found the MoBo website and realized it was right next to where I live. I decided to show up and I met Nate who gave me a tour. I was so happy to find a place with all the tools I needed and people to help me. I was unemployed at the time and looking for something useful to do while waiting for my next job. I started volunteering and shortly started to work on bikes for the yearly fundraising bike sale.
I had so much fun learning and working on these old bicycles, that I quickly spent more and more time there. After this exciting period of repairing bikes, I decided to adopt my first mountain bike. I spent a few hours trying to find the “right” bike and going through used parts and components to finally get everything to work together. Summer finally came and with the end of the school year the kids’ program started. Monday’s kids’ day, was a fun way to see super excited kids picking out their “new” bike. It was a great experience to see them work on their bikes and making sure they were safe to ride.
I was hooked! I always learn something new (about bikes, gardens or anything). There are always exciting projects for the community. This is very different from everything I have experienced anywhere I have been so far. It is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a great community, working on common goal at human scale.”
Xavier Michel
“I came to the Village Green Foundation for the bikes at MoBo, but I stayed for the garden. When I first got to the garden and expressed interest in the project, some of the more seasoned volunteers were eager to get started on various tasks. DIY gardening and local food sourcing are pursuits I’ve had for a while now and GAVG plays a role in making these things happen. I also like the community I’ve met at VGF because volunteering is much more fun when you get to help out with your friends. Also, MoBo is a great place to fix up your bike at low cost. You just gotta put in the work. The GAVG is the most welcoming DIY gardening space in Cincinnati.”
John Nyanzi
“I became aware of MoBo in early 2017. I have since met many bicycles and gardening enthusiasts. Nate and others have been instrumental in helping me become a better bicycle mechanic. This has afforded me the knowledge to help youth adopt bikes in the summer that they otherwise could not afford. I recommend you check out MoBo and see if it is right for you.”
Scott Bowers
“My husband and I moved to Northside 2.5 years ago. We knew volunteering would be a great way to learn about our new community and make new friends. As a gardener, I was curious about the Village Green Foundation. Suzie McCoy gave us an impromptu tour and she oozed passion and vision for the Food Forest (now under development). Her passion was infectious and I got involved through leasing a garden bed. This led to friendships with gardeners far more knowledgeable than I am and I now serve on the board.”
Laureen Niehaus-Beckner
“I’ve been volunteering with the Village Green since 2014. It’s been a great place to connect with awesome people and learn a lot of new skills. I feel like the Village Green is a special gem that makes a direct impact on promoting sustainability and growing community.”
Suzie McCoy
“I have known about MoBo for more than 4 or 5 years but never took the time to visit until Fall 2017. Behind MoBo there is this vast space filled with community garden plots. Instantly I knew why I would be coming back. I have never garden before in my life but the amount of help and support I got from others was amazing and I grew lots of vegetables. I connected with so many other gardeners who shared their crops and knowledge with me. If you want to learn how to grow things and make friends or even if you need some serene time alone to garden, it is the perfect place.
Nikia Prince