Job Description
Executive Director, Bikes Not Bombs (BNB)

We need another 95 helmets to reach our goal of 100 helmets for the Nevis Island Earn-A-Bike youth programs started by Bikes Not Bombs one year ago. The program is doing very well: the workshop space is now booked up in schedule to be shared by seven different communities on this Caribbean Island (federated with St.

Job Description

The Phoenix Magazine will be announcing Best of Boston Awards in April. Bikes Not Bombs is one of 5 nominees for the "best nonprofit," and you can also write us in for the "best bike shop." Here's how:

Almost every Wednesday night at BNB's Hub (284 Amory) 7-10 pm you are invited to drop in to Volunteer Night, processing donated bikes, getting them ready to ship overseas, stripping parts from bad frames, sorting parts, and other projects. You don't need mechanical experience - we'll show you what to do.

1/16/08
an update from Carl Kurz, BNB's International Director

Six months into enjoying our fabulous, custom spaces, we still face the big challenge of raising $150,000 more - in addition to our regular operating costs - to finish paying for our Capital Campaign total of $550,000. Grassroots fundraising is essential to this organization, and we have been delighted and encouraged by the enthusiasm and contributions of our supporters.

Mira Brown has left the BNB staff after many years of amazing contributions. She writes:

Here is a piece of May news from the Nicaragua Network (see www.nicanet.org). Bikes Not Bombs was founded in opposition to the US-run contra war in Nicaragua in the early 80's, and for years all BNB shipments and trainers went to Nicaragua. This new statement is a reminder of where we've been and the injustice that continues.

As the war in Iraq drags on, many of us are simply inured to the notion of violence so far distant from our daily lives. It is worthwhile to take a moment of silence and ponder the unknown costs of this war in human lives.

from Michael Blunk, BNB trainer, April 29, 2007

Maggie Cohn, a BNB Board Member, has as her day job the management of the Mission Hill Main Streets program (www.missionhillmainstreets.org). She has let us know about an initiative that is being taken up by all 19 Main Street districts in Boston - it's called the Community Change Card, and this is how it works:

BNB’s newest project is underway on Nevis Island in the Caribbean, an island federated with St. Kitts. The project is setting up Earn-A-Bike youth programs for local teens, based on the classes taught at BNB, and using bikes donated from the Boston area. Thanks to all of you who donated the bikes, processed them at Wednesday volunteer nights, and helped load the container of nearly 500 donated bikes and spare parts which we sent January 15th!

Let us know if you have skills, interest, time, to help program and/or maintain a database in Filemaker (which version are you familiar with), PHP, or MySQL.

We are looking for folks interested in mentoring and tutoring young people in our youth programs during both our Youth Drop-in Program and our Girls In Action programs. If you are interested in helping out with either of these programs please get in touch with Dana or Matt. The Girls In Action program will meet once a week from 3:00-7:00 and the Youth Drop-in Program meets every Wednesday from 3:00-6:30 (both schedules include a 1/2 hour of prep time and 1/2 hour of clean up/evaluation time)

Professional mechanics wanted to help teach in our job training program. If you've worked in a bike shop, you can share your skills! For more info send an email to both carlbikesnotbombs.org and shopbikesnotbombs.org or call Carl Kurz at 617-522-0222.

Thanks to all who contributed to and worked on our May shipment to the Diepsloot Youth Bicycle Shop in South Africa! Some good and bad news - the project suffered a burglary, but some tools have been recovered by police. The Rockefeller Foundation, which has providing funding, had a positive visit to the project.

Bikes Not Bombs ships donated bikes to CESTA (the El Salvadoran Center for Appropriate Technology). Here is an interview with CESTA's director, printed in Red Pepper, April 2007 http://www.redpepper.org.uk/

July 2007: The Maya Pedal organization in Guatemala rebuilds used bikes into pedal-powered machines for use by local indigenous farmers: grain grinders, well-water pumps, masa mills, and more. BNB has sent shipments of bikes, and more recently collaborated with MIT engineers to aid this project. Their newest project is a peanut-shelling machine.

We can use your help during weekday hours, or Wednesdays up until 10pm! Join our team of staff and interns for a few couple hours each week, or whatever fits your schedule. This is crucial work, and we'd love to have your help! Email jasminebikesnotbombs.org or call 617-522-0222.