By Alan Schultz
Summer 2021 Newsletter

Pedals for Progress recently celebrated thirty years of collecting bicycles and sewing machines to be sent to the developing world. The mission of the organization has been very clear over the years: to empower sustainable economic development by recycling bicycles and sewing machines from the US and shipping them to motivated people in the developing world. Among the 160,000 bikes and 5,000 sewing machines the organization has delivered to 46 countries around the world, we have been able to stick by our original mission statement and have helped countless communities, families, and individuals seek personal economic growth and development. We are constantly honored and humbled to help such a wide range of people around the world.

Our mission cannot be accomplished alone. The organizations, groups, and individuals we work with domestically that help collect bikes and sewing machines are key elements to our success. We have grown with many domestic partners over the years and have developed an incredible support system of people willing to be part of what we do. The growth of Pedals for Progress is incredibly reliant on these behind-the-scenes figures.

The growth of pedals for progress has blossomed on many fronts. From establishing new partners overseas, to growing our network of friends that spans beyond our tri-state area, there have been many areas of development across the organization. We strive to keep our growth steady, strong, and smooth. We focus much of our energy on maintaining our connections with domestic and international partners as they are the foundation of our organization. These relationships are very visible through the sheer number of items we collect at home and the fantastic stories we receive from the countries we work with abroad.

The growth of Pedals for Progress has mostly been visible in these important areas. However, an aspect of our organization that has remained relatively the same has been its internal operations. There is a very specific method to the madness that comes with orchestrating what we do. It has worked over the years, so we have stuck with it.

We have decided to look at these internal operations and decide where we could improve for the greater good of our cause. The greatest constant has been our board of trustees, which has remained relatively small and without much change. This has worked greatly in our favor as we have been able to perfect the growth of the organization in its domestic and international operations. To reach new heights, a well-rounded organization is willing to look at every angle of its operations to maximize the outcomes of its cause. With this in mind, we have decided to greatly expand out board of trustees in ways in which we never have done before.

Pedals for Progress has decided to seek a larger and more diverse group of individuals to be a part of its board to develop the organization from the inside-out, in hopes of expanding and further cementing the bounds of our mission to improve the lives of others. We are proud to say that our new membership will be expanding to 14 people to help aid the growth of our organization.

We are hopeful that the new board will help Pedals for Progress operate at its maximum capacity. We would like to introduce our new members and formally thank them for coming aboard the Pedals for Progress and Sewing Peace team. We are excited to see the impact they will make on the organization and have full confidence that their experience and expertise will serve the organization well.

Thank you to our new and current members.

Current:

• John Alexander, Treasurer
• David Schweidenback, President & CEO
• Andrew Williams
• Robert Zeh, Secretary

New:

• Jamie Acosta
• Jerry Agasar
• Daryl Detrick
• Anne Fitzgerald
• Sarah Jannsch
• Robert Loftin Jr.
• Richard Millhiser
• Steven Muentener
• Casey Walsh