Worcester Earn-a-bike

At A Glance

Location: 

Worcester, Massachusetts

Primary Issue Area:

  • Climate Change & Energy

Active since:

2004

Grants Received In:

  • 2011
  • 2008
  • 2005

Core volunteers:

5

Community Size:

182,669

Our Purpose

to teach fun, affordable bike repair to neighborhood youth and community members by providing tools, instruction, and repairable bikes and parts. We encourage bike riding as an empowering, economical, and healthy alternative to car culture.

Summary of Projects

In 2011 WEAB received a grant to do another round of Go Local bike tours and connect the effort to group member Matt Feinstein's documentary Ciclovida: Lifecycle about the impact of global agribusiness of small local farmers in South America. It includes bicycle-and-solar-powered projections of the documentary. The energy generated by the bikes and solar panels will power video equipment used for documenting the visits/rides in order to create educational videos that trip participants can then share with their communities, churches and schools.

In 2008 NEGEF funding was used to organize weekly summer bike rides to visit local food projects that promote local, organic food as part of a sustainable lifestyle. Also to document these rides on video for distribution on the Internet.

The group received a grant in 2005 to help fund operating costs of the organization, teach affordable bike repair to community members and encourage bike riding as an empowering economical and healthy alternative to car culture.