New Deals for Old Wheels at Faith Lutheran

On Saturday, May 21, Faith Lutheran Church in New Providence will be collecting second-hand bikes for use by adults in third world countries.  The collection is being conducted on behalf of Pedals for Progress, an organization that annually recycles more than 10,000 bicycles for persons in developing countries. 

Anyone with a bicycle in repairable condition is urged to donate to this worthy cause. Bikes may be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the parking lot adjacent to Faith Lutheran Church, located at 524 South Street.

Every year, affluent Americans buy 22 million new bicycles and discard millions of old ones, abandoning many more unused in basements, sheds and garages. Most of these end up in our already overburdened landfills.  Meanwhile, poor people in Latin America, Africa and the Pacific Islands need cheap, non-polluting transportation to get to jobs, markets, customers, and schools.  Steady employment for the adults is vital to the development and success of these economies.

Since 1997, Pedals for Progress has collected 140,000 bicycles and shipped this material wealth to persons in developing countries, where the bikes are reconditioned by partner agencies and distributed at low cost to impoverished working adults.

Pedals for Progress is a registered charity in the State of New Jersey.  Brochures explaining this innovative program will be available at Faith Lutheran.

The phone number of the church is 908-464-5177.