​​In 2009, Liz Powers founded the LIFT Bike Project to help low-income individuals secure free, sustainable transportation. The LIFT Bike Project is an “earn-a-bike” program that provides homeless and low-income individuals living in the Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston areas with free helmets, locks, and refurbished bicycles. Clients earn their bikes by volunteering for at least 10 hours and attending a mandatory bike safety session.

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The LIFT Bike Project is a branch of a larger organization called LIFT, a nonprofit which helps combat poverty by pairing trained volunteer advocates with low-income community members. LIFT advocates work one-on-one with members on a variety of services, including finding employment and securing safe, stable housing. Check out  www.liftcommunities.org to learn more!

 

During her years volunteering at LIFT, Liz noticed that many of her clients could not access existing social services or travel to job interviews because they could not afford to take the T. She created the LIFT Bike Project to help fill the gap in social services for transportation in the Boston area.

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To date, over 150 individuals have earned bikes, helmets, and locks through the LIFT Bike Project. Clients have reported that receiving a bike has helped them get back on their feet, commute to new jobs, and exercise more often. In exchange for these bikes, recipients have donated more than 1,500 hours of volunteering in our community, and all 150 individuals have received bike safety education. These 150 bikes help low-income community members work towards their goals of securing housing, finding employment, and leading a healthier life.