A bicycle collection for Bikes Not Bombs will take place on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church Street, Watertown, rain or shine, organizers announced.
All types and sizes of bikes will be accepted, as well as bike parts, accessories, tools, and cycling clothing. A voluntary donation of $5 per bike will help defray the cost of finding a new home for your bike.
Bikes Not Bombs is a Jamaica Plain based non-profit organization that uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change. It reclaims thousands of used bicycles each year, and creates local and global programs that provide skill development, jobs, and sustainable transportation for youth and adults, both locally and internationally.
In Boston, Bikes Not Bombs staff and volunteers work with inner city youth to provide support, build self-esteem, learn useful skills, and develop healthy lifestyles through a number of innovative, bicycle-based programs. Their full service bike shop trains youth to become bicycle mechanics, learn good business skills, and become effective community leaders.
Each year Bikes Not Bombs ships thousands of bikes to community projects in regions throughout the developing world, including Ghana, Northern Uganda, Central America, and the Caribbean. They also send technicians and tools to provide training for start up projects in micro-enterprise bike businesses, sustainable technology projects, and youth training programs. For the working poor in developing countries, bikes are an essential and affordable means of transportation, providing access to school and to work.
Help Bikes Not Bombs promote peace, social justice, and a sustainable environment by donating your unwanted bikes on April 23! This drive is sponsored by the World in Watertown, the First Parish of Watertown, and the Belmont Watertown United Methodist Church. Information about Bikes Not Bombs can be found at www.bikesnotbombs.org. For more information about the Watertown bike collection call 617 926-8130.