Welcome
Greetings y’all,
Hope October was good to you. It was a blast here at Out Our Front Door. We had our huge 80+ person Sun Harvest overnight to IL Beach State Park and our Indigenous People’s Day Family Bike Camping trip as well as a bike ride/service day at Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie. Our fiscal year ended on October 31, so we just had our big, annual board retreat which is always an exhilarating weekend filled with lots of great planning and quality hangs with the amazing folks that make up the OOFD Board of Directors.
Read on to find out more about what we have coming up in the next month or so including some parties! And you’ll learn a bit about the big things we did in October, and of course, find some gratitude sprinkled in:)
Featured Event - 5 Year Plan Launch Party and Fundraiser December 14th
We have been working for over two years on our next 5 Year Plan, from listening sessions with our volunteers to brainstorming with our Board of Directors. Our last 5 Year Plan, 2021-2025, was all about sustainability. We wanted to grow our programs in a big way and work to get a full-time Executive Director. While we didn’t hit every single one of our goals, generally we rocked that 5 year plan! We increased overnight ridership from 189 folks in 2019 to 550 in 2025, a 191% increase, and we added two new programs: the Adaptive Program and Adult Day Rides. We also were able to bring Glenn on as our full-time Executive Director at the beginning of 2025.
And the next 5 Year Plan is all about Reciprocity, and how we can give back to nature, our volunteers, participants, and partners. We are so hyped about this plan, so much so, we’re throwing a party to officially launch it. More details to come but save the date. It will be on Sunday, December 14th at Sketchbook Brewery in Skokie.
Upcoming OOFD Events
Bike camping is over for the year here at OOFD . . . Well, not really. We have the famously fun Decemberg ride out to Camp Reinberg in Palatine to stay in heated cabins (with camping as an option). However, all 35 slots for that ride are already sold out! But not to worry. You can still catch your OOFD pals at a few upcoming events.
Monthly Hang at Exchequer Pub (The Loop) - TONIGHT!
Tuesday, November 4 from 730-1030pm
Join us for the last Monthly Hang of the year at one of the best pubs to hangout in all of The Loop. All are welcome from OOFD OGs to folks brand new to the org. Come on out and learn a bit about what OOFD is all about and how you can ride with us or even get involved as a volunteer. Deets and sign-up here.
Volunteer Appreciation Party
Thursday, November 13th
This is our annual event to celebrate the incredible volunteers that make OOFD happen. Old and new volunteers are welcome. The details and RSVP details were shared in the last Volunteer Newsletter. If you are interested in volunteering with OOFD, you can sign-up to do so here, and we’ll be sure to add you to our volunteer list.
Decemberg - Winter in the Woods
December 13-14
The last bike camping/cabining trip of the year! This 45 mile ride up to Camp Reinberg in Palatine for a night in heated cabins is already sold out.
5 Year Plan Launch Party and Fundraiser at Sketchbook Brewery
Sunday, December 14
We have built out an inspiring plan for our coming 5 years, 2026-2030, and we want to celebrate it with y’all! So save the date to come out to party with us and support us as we embark on a very exciting 5 years focused on our most excellent mission, values, and doing it all in the spirit of reciprocity. More details to come very soon.
Volunteer Gratitude - Brandon McFadden
Brandon is such a next level volunteer. He brings so much to OOFD including all sorts of specialized knowledge and experience. This year alone, he helped us do a major revamp of our internal Slack communication with volunteers as well as sat in on meetings as we worked to make a decision about signing on with a CRM. Since then, we have started our CRM journey, with Neon One, and Brandon has been there, consistently offering his technical knowledge to help build it out. Not to mention, he is an incredible guide, having provided car support on some rides this year and will be the driving guide this coming Decemberg. He brings such a warm, friendly, welcoming, “how can I help” attitude to OOFD. We’re so lucky to have such a lovely human as part of the OOFD crew.
In his own words, “Brandon is originally from Northeast Ohio and after two short stints in Phoenix, AZ and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex he moved to Chicago in 2022. Shortly after moving to the Chicago region, he sold his car and started moving around the city by Divvy, acquiring his first bike in nearly a decade in 2024 when he joined his first OOFD rides! Brandon now helps manage the OOFD Volunteer Slack, and soon the new CRM building a collaborative and connected environment between Volunteers, Participants and Leadership. When he's not on a bike, you'll most likely find Brandon on a Train or Plane headed to some new destination (if you need travel recommendations - spend some time riding with him!)”
Events We Did in the Last Couple Months
After running 19 different events in August and September, we finally took a little bit of a breather in October. Don’t get us wrong, there were some gems in October, especially the annual Sun Harvest ride. Anyhow, here's what we were up in in October.
Roll to the River: Kankakee State ParkOctober 4-5
This was a new ride for us. A nice 80ish miler starting in Beverly down to Kankakee, riding at least 5 different bike trails from the Major Taylor Trail to the Wauponsee Glacial Trail. This is the furthest south an OOFD ride has even gone. Day 2 was a cool 30 miles back to Joliet where everyone hopped the Metra back into the city. We even had some local Kankakee legends come out to meet our group of riders and share some knowledge about the area, especially about the local ecosystems and plants, including the super rare Kankakee Mallow.
Monthly Hang at Promontory Point (Hyde Park) - Bonfire Tuesday, October 7 from 730-1030pm
This, as always, was one of the best monthly hangs of the year with a bonfire on the lakefront with epic views of the skyline. We had about 25 folks out, many of which were new to OOFD. We bonded over some hotdogs, marshmallows, and beverages around the fire.
Indigenous People's Day at Camp Sullivan - Family Bike Camping OvernightOctober 11-12
The last Family Overnight of the year! This group of family riders explored the beauty of our extensive forest preserves in the Southwest Burbs. They rode through the Southside neighborhoods of Beverly and Mt. Greenwood and eventually arrived to the Cal Sag Trail. As all of our rides celebrate this beautiful corner of the earth we call home, we acknowledge the many people who have lived here before us and seek to promote Indigenous perspectives into all we do. Feels so good and so right to celebrate such an important weekend on a bike camping trip.
Autumn Sun HarvestOctober 18-19
It was threatening rain, but we still had over 80 folks ride up through our beautiful fall landscape up to Illinois Beach State Park from Clark Park on Chicago’s Northside. We had a blast around the campground with lots of great vibes and cosy campfire hangs. Some of us even jumped into the frigid lake upon arrival to camp! The OOFD’s Board of Directors did a special shoutout and champagne toast and pumpkin pie offering to appreciate this year’s volunteers. And then, it rained. Just in time for bed so we could listen to those peaceful drops hit the top of our tents. Many of the riders braved the rainy morning and rode back to the city or hopped on Metra trains at various points along the 70 mile return route down the DPRT.
Happy Hour with OOFD’s Executive Director at Beermiscious (Lakeview)Wednesday, October 22
Once a quarter, OOFD’s Executive Director and Co-Founder, Glenn, hits up a good Chicago Happy Hour spot, and is available to discuss any ideas or questions you have for OOFD and even get to work on them a bit together. This was open to anyone. It honestly hasn’t been the biggest hit this year, so we’ll probably rework this idea next year. That said, Glenn is 100% here to listen to and work on any ideas you have for OOFD, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thrive Outside Bike Campout and Summit at Big MarshOctober 24-25
We are so lucky to be a part of the Thrive Outside cohort of nature based non-profits here in Chicago. It is truly an inspiring group of over 40 local non-profits that do the work to connect our neighbors with nature from birding to gardening to conservation work. OOFD’s ED was part of the planning committee and helped lead a group of bikers to Big Marsh the night before to campout with over 20 folks from the Thrive Outside Network. OOFD even gave a 30 minute presentation about inclusivity and bike adventures at the summit.
Where the Wild Things Grow at Emily Oaks Nature Center in SkokieOctober 26
We led our third annual ride out to Emily Oaks to support them with some conservation work on their beautiful grounds. We are so lucky to have such an excellent partner in Emily Oaks, and we’re so happy to give back to them with this event each year.
OOFD Board of Directors Annual Retreat
October 31-November 2
Once a year, the OOFD Board of Directors get together and hole up for a weekend of reflection and planning. This year, we were at a house in Fox Lake, deep diving the data from our 2025 ride season, reviewing our 5 year plan, and making big plans for 2026. It is such an inspiring weekend, and even more so because we were able to welcome two stellar new board members, Shawn Cobbs and Alma Olavarria Gallegos.
Other Awesome Events Upcoming
The group bike ride season was on fire over the past few months with more rides than any one human could possibly keep up with (though I know a few folks that probably were at most of them:) As winter approaches, the options thin out a bit, but there are still some excellent, mutual aid focused rides coming up.
Southside Critical Mass - Last One of the Year!Friday, November 7th
This is a special edition as it is in partnership with The Chicago Bike Collective Ride which aims to celebrate all of the bike collectives serving Black and Brown communities here in Chicago. Deets and sign-up here.
Cycling Solidarity - Street Vendor RideSaturday, November 8th
Organized in partnership between CyclingxSolidarity & the Street Vendors Association of Chicago, this ride will start at Daley Plaza. They will ride out at 10am at a chill pace to support various street vendors during these challenging times. The route and vendors vary by week and will be announced prior to the date. Each vendor will provide a brief introduction to help build community in their vibrant neighborhood. Afterwards, you're encouraged to stay in the neighborhood to explore the shops and other attractions. Deets and sign-up here.
Cycling Solidarity - Burrito BrigadeSaturday, November 23
Once a month, on a Sunday, over 500 burritos are made by volunteers at a church on the Southside and delivered all over the city. Over 250 of those burritos are delivered by the bike team in Pilsen. Deets and sign-up here.
Ok. It feels so so good to get this newsletter out while I am still flying so high after such an inspiring weekend long Board of Directors retreat. The past year has been something special at OOFD, and the coming year(s) are looking very bright. We can’t wait to introduce y’all to our big 5 Year Plan at the party at Sketchbook on December 14th.
And with that, let’s again close with a quote from Gavin Van Horn in his essay in the book Kinship Vol. 2 Place.
Our movement through the world is not a monologue. Reciprocity is not simply a conceptual matter, an ethical goal; it is as close to us as the shoes off our feet, and it is a multi-part conversation. Conventional thinking assumes that nature is something that happens outside ourselves, beyond the skin. . . . The point is that we are more permeable, more porous, than we typically imagine ourselves would be. Our skin is not the end of us. This bodily membrane can actually be considered a beginning, the medium through which we receive what the world is offering.
Thanks as always for reading these newsletters. I look forward to pedaling and/or partying with many of you soon.
Much love,
Glenn and the whole OOFD crew
