Feel Good Friday - Bikes Not Bombs

May is National Bike Month, and what better way to wrap up the celebration than spotlighting Boston’s Bikes Not Bombs.

Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, the mission of Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) is "to use the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South."

Each year, BNB collects roughly 5,000 donated bicycles from supporters across Greater Boston and New England, and ships most of them to partner organizations around the world. In fact, BNB is loading a container of bikes and parts headed to their partner Learn, Work, Develop in Rwanda this weekend!

Since 1984, they have shipped over 80,000 bicycles to partners in 14 countries. Current international partners include organizations in Guatemala, El Salvador, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nevis Island, all using bicycles to expand access to economic opportunity, education, and health care in their communities. Bicycles also power pedal-driven machines for grain milling, water pumping, and coffee processing in some of these locations, providing emissions-free technology that improves rural livelihoods. 

Locally, BNB’s Youth Pathways programs have served over 3,000 Boston youth since 1990. Their Earn-A-Bike program gives young people a safe, welcoming environment to learn everything from riding basics to fully refurbishing a bike they can take home. Youth Apprenticeships offer paid, hands-on training in bike mechanics, entrepreneurship, and career development, building skills and resumes that open doors well beyond the bike shop. BNB's Bike Shop and Training Center sells refurbished and new bikes, with profits funding their youth and international work. To hear the origin story of Bikes Not Bombs directly from co-founder Carl Kurz, you can watch this short video about the organization's 40+ years of impact.

There are many ways to support Bikes Not Bombs. You can donate a bike, become a volunteer, make a monetary donation, or shop their online store for gear and accessories. Amplify their message on social media by following BNB on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube, and sharing their stories of hope and community with your network.

Happy National Bike Month!

Feel Good Friday - Veterans for Peace

This Memorial Day weekend, Veterans for Peace reminds us that some of the most powerful voices for peace are those who have experienced war firsthand.

Founded in 1985 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, the mission of Veterans for Peace (VFP) is to build "a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices." The organization informs the public of the true causes and enormous costs of war, and works with an obligation to heal war's wounds. Their network spans more than 140 chapters worldwide, including international chapters in Vietnam, Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and they hold a permanent Non-Governmental Organization seat at the United Nations.

VFP's work is organized around three core pillars: educating the public about the full cost of war, resisting militarism and advocating for diplomacy over armed conflict, and healing the wounds of war to build a
more just and peaceful society. Their veteran and associate members represent 70 years of military service, spanning World War II through the present day.

Their national projects bring these pillars to life in tangible ways. The Golden Rule Peace Boat Project restored the original peace boat that set sail in 1958 to stop nuclear testing in the atmosphere, and the vessel is voyaging once more as a living symbol of the belief that a nuclear-free world is possible. The Deported Veterans Advocacy Project supports U.S. military veterans who served this country and were later deported, providing housing referrals, medical support, document assistance, and help navigating VA benefits from an office in Tijuana, just steps from the U.S. border. The Save Our VA Campaign fights to preserve comprehensive, high-quality healthcare for the nine million Americans who rely on VA health facilities. And the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign advocates for justice for victims of Agent Orange on both sides of that conflict.

If you’d like to celebrate Memorial Day by advocating for peace, consider supporting Veterans for Peace. You can become a member, make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow VFP on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share their stories of service, sacrifice, and the enduring pursuit of peace.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Feel Good Friday - Center for Biological Diversity

Today is Endangered Species Day, an annual observance held every third Friday of May to celebrate the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act and the conservation work keeping vulnerable wildlife from disappearing forever. That makes today a great time to spotlight the Center for Biological Diversity.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, the mission of the Center for Biological Diversity is "to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction.” They do this by using science, law and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that species need to survive.

The Center was born from a scrappy act of defiance. Three wildlife surveyors in New Mexico discovered a rare Mexican spotted owl nest in an old-growth tree slated for logging and reported it to the U.S. Forest Service. They were ignored so they went to the media instead, saved the tree, and decided to keep going. That same relentless approach defines the Center today.

Their primary tool is the law. With a staff of more than 170, including over 40 attorneys, the Center files petitions and lawsuits to compel government agencies to act on their legal obligations under the Endangered Species Act. Their track record is remarkable: a 93% success rate in litigation and protections secured for more than 700 species of wildlife and plants, along with the designation of 713 million acres of critical habitat. Just this week, the Center reached a legal agreement to advance protections for the Crater Lake newt in Oregon.

But legal work is only part of the picture. The Center also runs creative campaigns to shift public awareness, publishes The Revelator, an independent environmental news outlet, and engages its 1.8 million members and online activists in grassroots action on issues ranging from wolf recovery and climate policy to pesticide regulation and ocean protections.

You can support the Center for Biological Diversity in many ways. Become a member, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow the Center on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of hope and healing with your network.

Happy Endangered Species Day! 🐺🦋