Bikes for Windham Grant Award & Call for Bikes
WAIM's Bikes for Windham Program was awarded a $5,000 Active Transportation Microgrant by the Connecticut Department of Transportation! The grant will pay for mechanical and safety supplies. The Bikes for Windham Program provides a free bicycle, lock, and helmet to community members who need them, like our friend Keylitian, pictured above.
"The bike will help me get to places I need to go instead of relying on other people. I don't have a car, and I won't have to wait for others," she told us.
The Bikes for Windham Program promotes independence, as well as physical and economic mobility. We've given out 53 bikes so far in 2026, and we're just getting started!
If you have a gently-used bicycle that could have a great second life with someone like Keylitian, please donate them to WAIM at our Riverside Dr entrance Tuesday - Saturday from 9 am - 12 pm! Contact Stephanie with any questions at 860-456-7270 x 105 or officevolunteer@waimct.org.
Volunteers Needed: World Menstrual Hygiene Day at WAIM!
There is still space for you to sign up for this new volunteer opportunity! Each year, millions of women and girls are affected by period poverty as they do not have access to menstrual products, education, and care. The common mission of the MH Day movement is to create a period-friendly world in which menstruation is accepted as a normal fact of life and is no longer stigmatized.
We will gather here at WAIM to put together free period kits which we will distribute to partner social service agencies. While we work, nurse midwife, Julie Fetzer, CNM, WHNP-BC, of Community Health Services, Inc will give a brief, interactive presentation, "Your Period as a Vital Sign." (Also, there will be snacks!)
Click here to register.
Share Your Passion for WAIM's Mission at 3rd Thursdays!
Willimantic's 3rd Thursday Street Fest is back, and we'll be there! Each third Thursday evening from May through September, Main St closes to traffic to make room for vendors and pedestrians to share music, food, and good times. It is a great chance to share information about WAIM and how we can all work together to serve our community.
If you are passionate about WAIM's mission, and you'd like to shine that light for others to see, then join us! We could especially use a team captain of 3rd Thursday volunteers.
If you are interested in tabling with us for a June - September shift (5pm to 8 pm), contact Kristin Fortier at volunteeradmin@waimct.org or 860-456-7270x109!