This past Saturday, Green Option Buffalo teamed up with Hope Refugee Services to help give away 50 bicycles to refugee families on Buffalo's West Side.
"We are so pleased to share this wonderful effort with HOPE so that people who do not now have access to bicycles will," said Justin Booth, executive director of GO Buffalo.
Volunteers of GO Buffalo's Community Workshop helped to restore and refurbished 50 donated bicycles, that were distributed by HOPE volunteers to refugee families in need. Also helmets were provided with the bicycles as well as brief instruction on bicycle safety.
"These are the sorts of small but meaningful gestures that make Buffalo such a great place to live," Booth said.
Green Options Buffalo works to generate healthy, environmentally sustainable, community friendly transportation options in the City of Buffalo. Through its collection of advocacy efforts and community friendly programs, GO Buffalo is on the front position of promoting active transportation in the City of Buffalo.
Hope Refugee Services is a faith-based, non-profit organization that operates on Buffalo's West Side. It is devoted to helping refugee families become lively and dynamic members in their communities by empowering them to overcome persistent economic, educational, cultural and health barriers.
In 2009, Hope merged with Jericho Road Ministries, and together it serves more than 1,400 low-income and refugee individuals per year through its 10 established programs.
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"We are so pleased to share this wonderful effort with HOPE so that people who do not now have access to bicycles will," said Justin Booth, executive director of GO Buffalo.
Volunteers of GO Buffalo's Community Workshop helped to restore and refurbished 50 donated bicycles, that were distributed by HOPE volunteers to refugee families in need. Also helmets were provided with the bicycles as well as brief instruction on bicycle safety.
"These are the sorts of small but meaningful gestures that make Buffalo such a great place to live," Booth said.
Green Options Buffalo works to generate healthy, environmentally sustainable, community friendly transportation options in the City of Buffalo. Through its collection of advocacy efforts and community friendly programs, GO Buffalo is on the front position of promoting active transportation in the City of Buffalo.
Hope Refugee Services is a faith-based, non-profit organization that operates on Buffalo's West Side. It is devoted to helping refugee families become lively and dynamic members in their communities by empowering them to overcome persistent economic, educational, cultural and health barriers.
In 2009, Hope merged with Jericho Road Ministries, and together it serves more than 1,400 low-income and refugee individuals per year through its 10 established programs.
One again, Justin Booth deserves a huge 'thank you' for steadily advocating for a major empowerment tool for low income citizens in a poor city. Owning a bike is a major way that the many thousands of non-car-owners in Bflo can efficiently get to work & other civic activities, insuring that they have opportunities to 'move ahead'.
For too long, riding a bike in Bflo had been associated with a social stigma of being 'poor' & 'un-cool', especially in the Black & Hispanic communities. Hopefully immigrants who have lived in countries where biking has been a necessity can lead the way to help change that dynamic.
And, ideally, more leaders in 'established' ethnic communities in Bflo can publicly advocate for bike riding as cheap, healthful & 'cool'.
For example, Mayor Byron Brown could bike-commute to work once a month during spring, summer & autumn months.
And advocate that anybody with unused bikes in garages & basements donate them to such worthy causes as Justin tirelessly promotes!