(WBBM Newsradio) – For some, bicycles can be a lifeline. Even old bicycles.
"We believe in bicycles as a tool of empowerment, and we want to give an old bike a new life," says Trevor Clarke, executive director of Working Bikes.
The organization, founded in 1999, repairs and re-purposes bicycles that might otherwise end up in scrap yards or landfills. People across the Chicago region donate 10,000 bicycles annually.
Many of Working Bikes' donations end up gong to Africa, at Africycle, one of the organization's global partners.Working Bikes
Seven thousand of the bikes go to organization partners in Africa and Central America, while another 3,000 stay local. Many of those are donated to low-income people.
Clarke says the bikes can be life-changing for some, turning an hourlong walk to the grocery store into a 15-minute trip.
"The stories we hear from our international partners are incredible," Clarke said. "We hear of women who walk three hours to school getting a bicycle and being able to get to school in 30 to 40 minutes."
Mechanics at the Chipego Bike Shop in Zambia unload a shipment of donated bicycles from Working Bikes.Working Bikes
For children, the gift is priceless, as volunteers witnessed during a recent bike giveaway in North Lawndale.
"They're able to experience the community in a different way," Clarke said.
Clarke says anyone can be a part of the mission, by either donating a bike or volunteering at the organization at 2434 S. Western Avenue.
Earlier this summer, Working Bikes sent a container of bikes to Africycle in Southeastern Africa.Working Bikes
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