Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
The Working Bikes workshop in action during the pandemic – credit, Working Bikes

 

Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network.

Chicago Bicycle Refurbishers Pedal Good to the World for 26 Years With 150,000 Bikes Saved from Landfills

By Andy Corbley –

For 25 years, a local nonprofit has been refurbishing bikes for resale or donation to communities in need in Chicago and the world.

Over the years, its horizons have continued to expand beyond the Windy City and out to the farthest corners of the world.

Working Bikes, located at 2434 S. Western Ave in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, has seen an awful lot of bikes pass through its doors; pulling them from landfills, picking them up off the curbside, or accepting them from community members. Over 150,000 have been repaired since the registered 501(c)3 got its wheels turning in 1999.

12% of all the bikes they restored are sold in the Working Bikes storefront. 15% meanwhile are donated right back to the people of Chicago through local program partners that will ensure they arrive in the hands of people in need of transportation.

The whole operation is volunteer-supported: anyone can come in and fix a bike or learn how. A few dedicated employees ensure that salable models are in excellent condition, or boast unique designs and features.

“I think there’s always a need in Chicago,” said Trevor Clarke, current director of Working Bikes, in an interview with CBS Chicago.

“There are disinvested communities here who really lack access to transportation, and we saw that spike in with the new arrival population, so we had an acute need for people who were just coming to Chicago.”

Thousands more bikes—the majority, in fact—await delivery to Working Bikes’ overseas partners in Mexico, Venezuela, Albania, Uganda, Angola, Egypt, Cuba, and many, many more countries.

Working Bikes provides not only bicycles and spare parts but also training to the Bwindi Bicycle Program in rural Uganda, which trains women to repair and maintain bikes. This is just one of many local organizations supported by Working Bikes.

“The focus is really on employment for the ladies,” Clarke said. “They set up the shops, we help provide the training, we continue to provide the bikes—and the ladies who were trained eight years ago train this new group for a new shop.”

100,000 of the 150,000 bikes the Working Bikes team refurbished have gone to these overseas difference-makers. They arrive unrideable, but with the training and tools to repair them. Each bike is then sold for prices relevant to the local economy, and many of these partners provide microloans to prospective buyers.

WATCH the story from CBS below… or for viewers outside the US, WATCH HERE…

The good news in this story is what would normally be waste is turned into usable products that have purpose. Today’s JohnKu talks about elimination waste. I hope you have a super weekend.

Reuse by John W. Howell © 2025

Why discard something,

When someone could value it . . .

Need to think before.

 

Unknown's avatar

Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

71 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  2. We donate lots of stuff to the local veterans group. It’s personally rewarding and helps others who’ve helped us. I see too many used, but very functional, items Steve the curb for trash pickup. As your JohnKu says, ‘think’ before discarding.

    Liked by 3 people

  3. What a great post, John. I regularly donate what I’m not using. But I don’t have the talent of these young visionaries!

    Liked by 3 people

  10. What a fabulous enterprise! We donate a lot of things to TROSA, a local group of recovering addicts that does everything from resale to picture frames to landscaping to moving. We used them a lot and found all the men to be respectful and hard-working.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. What a great story, John. There was a group in Vermont that used to do something similar, though on a teeny tiny scale in comparison. That’s a lot of bicycles saved from landfills and put in the hands of those who can use them. 🙂 Love it.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. This IS wonderful news for sure. My husband and I were members of Michigan Bicycle Touring and b-a-c-k in the day, outfitting ourselves to pedal over hill and dale in Northern Michigan cost a pretty penny. He always donated our used bikes upon purchasing another. 3 cheers for these people!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I am all for re-cycling John and do so regularly with charity shops etc with no longer wanted items… As for this company… FULL MARKS to them for their achievements… Its wonderful work… A pity more companies do not think in this way, instead will fill landfill sites with so many things which parts could be recycled…

    Excellent shout out and share John.. Thank you xx

    Liked by 1 person

  26. This is an excellent good news story John, thank you!

    The video was really good. It was neat to see all those bikes not being wasted. It adds a lot to actually see the project in action.

    You know how I feel about waste. I just wish more important people would want to wear one one of my Art Gowns. They are supposed to be like ambassadors for reusing clothing and old fabric anythings. .. Like quilts, or tents or something useful, not landfill.

    Your JohnKu is spot on!

    O🚴🏾‍♀️ O🚴🏾‍♀️ O🚴🏾‍♀️ O🚴🏾‍♀️

    Liked by 1 person

  28. That is a LOT of bikes. But hey, there really is no reason that they should be wasted when there is a real need, as this story tells us.

    More Friday goodness, Boss man.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.