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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING WORKING BIKES ON THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, Working Bikes is a nonprofit organization located in the 7th District of Cook County; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes was established in 1999 by volunteers Lee Ravenscroft and Amy Little; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes mission and vision is to strengthen local and global communities by giving donated bicycles new life and redistributing them as tools for self-determination; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes works toward a world where everyone has access to bicycle transportation- whether in Africa, Latin America, or Chicago-and where bicycles are the most reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly transportation available; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes has supported the creation of dozens of bicycle organizations and social enterprises globally, this year sending 9,140 bikes to their amazing international partners who are mostly based in Africa and Central America; and
WHEREAS, more than 100,000 bicycles have been reclaimed from disuse or the waste stream since Working Bikes was founded; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes donates hundreds of bicycles each year to children in local schools and partner organizations, giving thousands of youth the freedom and joy of owning a bicycle; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes has partnered with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), transitional housing, refugee resettlement, and others to empower thousands of Chicagoland adults with access to transportation; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, Working Bikes distributed bikes to new locations, Costa Rica, to a project called MiBici sponsored by Fundación Integral Campesina de Costa Rica (FINCA Costa Rica) and to Durango, México in partnership with Comisión Iberoamericana De Derechos Humanos (CIDHPDA); and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes this year has donated a total of 11,426 bikes. 9,140 of those bikes were sent to international partners, 2,321 went to local community members; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, Working Bikes collected 12,897 bikes thanks to donations from municipalities, businesses, individuals, and nonprofits; and
WHEREAS, this year Working Bikes serviced 1,556 bikes brought in by local riders and 264 bikes that returned for service after being distributed through our Cycle of Power and Cycle of Peace programs; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes mechanics built 1,540 bikes this year to be sold in their storefront and 290 bikes to be donated through their partnership with Bike Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes partnered with Lyft to create the Community Mechanic Training Program (CMTP), a series of workshops designed to teach community members essential bike mechanic skills; and
WHEREAS, the goal of this program is to help train future bike mechanics, focused specifically on folks who have barriers to employment and historical underrepresentation in the bicycle industry; and
WHEREAS, Working Bikes has built an inclusive and welcoming community in its shops, giving skill-building opportunities to thousands of volunteers.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate the staff, volunteers, and supporters of Working Bikes on its 25th Anniversary; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, this text be spread upon the proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Working Bikes in honor of its 25 years of noble and impactful accomplishments locally and globally
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