Jonathan Hicks, BMET ’06, passed the Jamaica Plain headquarters of bicycle recycling nonprofit Bikes Not Bombs every day on his way to classes at Wentworth. But it wasn’t until two years after he graduated that a growing disconnection from the community pushed him through the door.
“I wanted to find a way to make an impact in a positive way,” says Jonathan, who volunteers along with his twin brother, John Hicks, BMET ’06.
The two were immediately drawn to the simple yet profound objective of Bikes Not Bombs: to promote peace, equality, and environmental sustainability by using a bicycle. The company has established local and international programs that promote community empowerment through bicyclespecific training services; everything from training local youths in bicycle maintenance skills to designing pedal-powered machinery for creating soap, shelling peanuts, and grinding grain—perfect for use in the third world. On average, 6,000 bikes are donated each year. Some are refurbished and sold at the Bikes Not Bombs retail shop, some are refurbished by local youths through apprenticeship programs, and the majority are sent to partner programs in Central America, Africa, and the Caribbean.
“It’s rewarding to know that the bikes are going to be able to help people get to work and school, or fund community service efforts,” says Jonathan, who now serves on the board of Bike Not Bombs. “I hope that our work will make a change in the world, even if it is one bicycle at a time.”
