Bikes Not Bombs Update

Written by Boston Biker on Oct 02

From BNB:

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News from Bici-Tec, BNB’s partner in Guatemala

For almost a year, Bikes Not Bombs has been working with bicycle machine inventor Carlos Marroquin to launch a new enterprise in Guatemala, called Bici-Tec. After months of planning, and an initial shipment of bikes, parts, and tools, we are excited about the progress made, and what the future holds. Bikes Not Bombs’ most recent Letter from the Director, provides an update about this project. You can read more about the project, andfollow Bikes Not Bombs on Facebook, for the latest news.

Applications are now available for Fall Earn-A-Bike.

Earn-A-Bike is a learning and earning program open to youth ages 12-18. Over the course of the six-week program, participants will completely overhaul a bicycle while learning how to safely ride and navigate the city of Boston. During mechanics lessons, participants will be taught how to repair a part of the bicycle; then they’ll roll up their sleeves and do it themselves, earning enough credits to take home the bike after graduation. Earn-A-Bike will run from October 21st – November 21st.

There are a limited number of spots available and applicants are chosen based on application date, and the applicant’s availability and willingness to commit to the schedule, Monday – Thursday, 3:30 – 6:30PM. For more information please call Ashley Leary, Co-Director of Youth Programs at 617-522-0222 x101, or email her at [email protected].

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013 at 8am
at: Space with a Soul
281 Summer Street, 7th floor
Boston, MA 02210

Save the date! Bikes Not Bombs’ third annualBuilding Momentum Breakfast will take placeWednesday, October 23rd at 8am at Space with a Soul in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston. The Building Momentum Breakfast is designed to raise critical financial support for Bikes Not Bombs and spread the word about our innovative work using donated bicycles as a tool for self-empowerment and community transformation. The event will feature breakfast generously donated by our friends at Ula Cafe, inspiring stories from individuals who have been impacted by our work, a short video, and more. While attendees will be asked to consider making a donation to support Bikes Not Bombs, there is no obligation to give!

Call for Table Captains! Signing up as a Table Captain is a great way to increase your impact at Bikes Not Bombs and ensure that the third annual Building Momentum Breakfast is a success! As a Table Captain you will be responsible for bringing nine people to the Building Momentum Breakfast – friends, family, and colleagues – who you think will connect with the mission and work of Bikes Not Bombs. We will host a kick-off event for Table Captains on September 26th to guide you through the process and provide you with all the information and materials you’ll need. Again, while this is a fundraiser, there is no obligation for Table Captains or guests to donate at the event.

If you would like to receive a formal invitation to the Building Momentum Breakfast or get more information about becoming a Table Captain, contact Erica Rotman, Director of Fundraising & Events, at [email protected].

Ability Bikes Cooperative is a worker-owned bike shop run by physically challenged people in Ghana. All of the members of Ability Bikes Cooperative are physically challenged and “mobility challenged,” yet on a daily basis they run a business that provides increased mobility to able-bodied people. Through these daily interactions with customers, Ability Bikes members actively transform social perceptions of physically challenged people in society, while importing and distributing over 2,000 bikes per year.

TIME: Sunday October 6th from 10am to 5pm. Drop in for an hour or stay all day.
PLACE: The BNB warehouse at 10 Harvard Street in Dorchester
DETAILS: Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Equal Exchange coffee will be generously donated by City Feed & Supply.

RSVP to this event!

Do you have parts leftover from upgrading your bikes? Instead of sitting around unused, that derailleur could be keeping a rural health worker’s bike on the road in Northern Uganda so they can reach more people, connect them to health care, and save lives! And if you ride with friends or in a club, please put out the word, collect parts together, and then bring them in to Bikes Not Bombs!

We need these parts by mid-September in order to prepare our second shipment of bikes and parts. The Village Health Team in Amuru has already been equipped with 360 bikes, and as Northern Uganda recovers from 20 years of civil war, this work is helping to create more healthy communities.

Items we can especially use

• Front Derailleurs – anything made for a mountain bike, or otherwise to fit a triple chain ring, road and hybrid derailleurs may work also.
• Rear Derailleurs – anything made for a mountain bike, or otherwise a long cage derailleur
• Shifters – rapid-fire, grip shift, or thumb shifters
• Chains – any type, though 7-8 speed chains are especially valuable
• Brakes – cantilever brakes, V-brakes
• Tubes and Tires – 26” (for mountain bikes) and any smaller sizes

Donations are tax-deductible. Donors will be asked to assign the fair market value of your donation. Please include the name and address where we should send the receipt. Contact Arik Grier,[email protected], 617-522-0222 x100.

Free on a weekday during the day? Come to BNB for a relaxing morning or afternoon of helpful office volunteering! This work is mostly data entry and some envelope stuffing. It’s easy, somewhat boring, but super important! Your help with these simple tasks will support our Youth Programs and International Programs, and you’ll get a glimpse into the inner-workings of our efficient administrative systems! We’re especially looking for volunteers who can commit to a weekly pattern, but one-off times are also helpful. And we can work around your schedule, any weekday between 10 am and 5 pm. Contact Sean Madsen at [email protected] to set up a time.

Bikes Not Bombs is launching a new outreach effort! We’re traveling to workplaces for brown-bag lunches – or “Lunch Brakes” – to talk about our work and impact. Lunch Brakes are a great way to introduce your colleagues to Bikes Not Bombs and connect them with ways to get involved. We will share stories from inspirational leaders, videos about our work, information about upcoming events, and open up the space for Q&A. If you are interested in spreading the word about BNB and hosting us at your office, please contact Erica Rotman, Director of Fundraising & Events, at[email protected].

Thanks to the incredible dedication of BNB staff, board, and volunteers, we have completed our five-year strategic plan. If you’re curious about our goals and vision for the next five years, we invite you to check it out online. We’d love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions you might have about it.

News outside of BNB:

 

 

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BAGLY hiring

The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth (BAGLY) is hiring a full-time Development & Marketing Manager – Review the job description, and share with anyone who might be a fit for this awesome organization.

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The BEST Initiative is currently enrolling for Fall and Winter Trainings

Youth Worker Certification, Supervisor Training, and BE SAFE Training sessions are now enrolling.More info online.

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Jamaica Plain’s Eliot School raising money for woodshop classes

The Eliot School has partnered with a master woodworker to bring one-day workshops to Boston Public School rooms in October. Check it out online.

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