Pedals for Progress
86 E. Main Street, High Bridge, NJ 08829
Phone: (908) 638-4811; Fax: (908) 638-4860
Email: p4padmin@ptd.net
web site: www.p4p.org

Executive Director: David Schweidenback, winner of the global prestigious Rolex award for Enterprise

Description of Program:
Pedals for Progress has as its mission, social, environmental, and economic justice all in one. Pedals recycles valuable goods donated in the US (bicycles) and redistributes them in Developing World countries. According to the organization's executive director, "One man's garbage is another man's treasure." Pedals collects used bikes in the US, ships them to Pedals organizations in developing countries where it has established distribution, training and repair organizations. The organization then makes the bikes available to the population for basic transportation. Pedals has shipped over 45,000 bikes since it began over nine years ago.

How the ministry has helped people in need:
Amutenya in Otijwarongo, Nambia was in need of a second job. He lacked basic transportation to take a job outside of his village. He was able to buy, at a nominal cost, a bicycle from Pedals for Progress and now runs a Taxi Service, ... "But," says Amutenya, "you must help me pedal!" Repeating this story over and over enable whole regions to share in economic prosperity, literally transforming the lives of the people.

Volunteer Opportunities:
A principal activity for volunteers is to sponsor and staff a bike collection. Our church in New Vernon has a history of holding bicycle collections that spans more than seven years. Held each spring, these collections are excellent opportunities for volunteers, especially for the youth of our church. These activities include distributing flyers for the collection, helping the day of the collection, and helping load the collected bikes for shipment.

We also coordinate with the New Vernon Fireman's Auction to take any unsold bikes.