Giving Back to the Communities That Support Us

Photos courtesy of Dykes on Bikes®

By Kate Brown—

As the year came to a close, San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® (DOB) focused on what has always mattered most: showing up for our community. Through partnership, visibility, and direct service, our Patch-holders and Prospects supported neighbors across the Bay Area during the holiday season. The following moments highlight just a few of the ways we worked alongside others to care for, uplift, and give back to the communities that support us year-round.

Over Thanksgiving, DOB Patch-holder Pam represented the organization at SOCKSgiving, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and benefiting the San Francisco Night Ministry. SOCKSgiving provides socks and outreach supplies to people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Pam’s participation reflected DOB’s long-standing commitment to showing up for the community in practical, meaningful ways, especially during times of heightened need.

On Saturday, December 6, Vice President T-Bone led the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes as they joined the Golden Gate Riders for their 36th Annual Toy Drive. Escorted by the San Mateo County Fire Department’s hook and ladder fire truck, dozens of motorcycles and a classic red pick-up truck delivered toys to San Mateo Medical Center, where roughly 500 toys and gifts were handed out to over 300 children. 

The next day, DOB volunteers, organized by Secretary Ellen, spent half a day preparing and serving more than 1,000 meals in the Dining Room at St. Anthony’s Church. Food insecurity remains a critical issue in San Francisco, and, according to St. Anthony’s, one in five adults lack reliable access to food; in the Tenderloin as many as one in two adults lack reliable access to food. Each year during Pride, the motorcycles that ride with us in the LGBTQ+ Pride Parade park along the street in front of St. Anthony’s, and serving meals was a way for Dykes on Bikes to express our gratitude to the community that hosts us each year. We look forward to additional service days this spring as we look to deepen our relationship with St. Anthony’s community.

These end-of-year efforts reflect how the DOB puts its mission into action. Supporting SOCKSgiving hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence demonstrated how civic participation and visibility can meet immediate community needs with care and dignity. Riding with the Golden Gate Riders for the annual toy drive highlighted how motorcycle culture and public presence can be used to educate and build connection. Serving meals at St. Anthony’s offered a tangible expression of our commitment to our community, grounding our visibility in direct service to neighbors facing food insecurity.

Together, these moments illustrate how Dykes on Bikes uses rides, education, and service, not as separate efforts, but as connected ways of empowering community, advancing understanding, and giving back. As we look ahead to the months to come in 2026, we carry these experiences with us and remain grounded in gratitude, strengthened by collaboration, and ready to continue showing up where it matters most.

Kate Brown, Ph.D., is the President of the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent. https://www.dykesonbikes.org/

Dykes on Bikes® Tales From Two Wheels
Published on January 15, 2026