Kidscycle shares support and kindness across Milwaukee with 11 Facebook groups and 50,000 users

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Kidscycle is a Facebook group found in all of the Milwaukee Metro area. With more than 50,000 members and ten years running, the group has transformed from a baby clothing and toy site to a community of parents.

"Someone who might not be able to afford a $100 bike, and I sold it for 10 bucks. It's nice knowing we're not putting it in the landfill and it's this stuff is actually getting loved."

Tiffany Niemczyk has been a part of the group for 6 years.

Some of the outdoor toys I struggle selling, because I'm like we had so many fun trips with this bike," said Niemczyk.

But passing it on through Kidscycle means it probably not the last she'll see of those old hand-me-downs.

All of the items are either sold or given to other moms in the community. While it started as a buy-sell-trade site, it's morphed into something much bigger through the decade.

"So, it started out with one Facebook group. We now have 11 Facebook groups, and we go all the way out to Waukesha and down to Caledonia and up to Mequon so pretty much all of the Metro Milwaukee area and there's about 50 thousand cyclers throughout all of the groups," said Jessica Knaak.

Knaak is a board member for Love + Lift (L+L), another group that came out of the Kidscycle mission.

"To me, it's just a word. It's a verb. It's something you do. You don't have to say, 'I'm giving this to someone.' you say, 'I'm love and lifting' and it's known throughout the community." said Knaak.

It started as one woman spreading a little kindness in the community.

"She would just drop things off at people's houses in brown paper bags," said Knaak. "Just to be nice, and spread joy and inspire people [...] and it got bigger and bigger and that's when she decided to create the nonprofit 'Love + Lift' to spread that outside of the small Facebook groups."

Now you'll find people all throughout Kidscycle loving and lifting. The nonprofit is also known to do things like send smile cards or pay electric bills. Small but important gestures for families with a lot of expenses and obligations in their day.

Kidscycle also grew on its own into a community of parents who connect on life. From selling highchairs to heartfelt questions, you'll find it all.

"When you're in need and people just show up for you, that's awesome," said Knaak.

Tiffany says it's an active group unlike any other she's found around the country, and it makes SE Wisconsin feel like a hometown.

"I have friends in other states. I used to live in Vegas, and a lot of the mom friends I have out there say they wish they had something like this. Or you hear about people around here that move, even two hours away, and say 'there's nothing around here for me,'" said Niemczyk.

You can nominate anyone for a L+L through the Love + Lift website or Facebook page, you don't need to be a part of the Kidscycle communities.