The other day we were at Stumptown, our favorite local coffee shop in Portland, when we spotted an unassuming postcard about Bikes to Rwanda, an organization that builds centrally located bicycle repair and parts shops in, you guessed it, Rwanda.
We thought this initiative had to come from a local bike enthusiast since Portland is such a biking town. We then when on to think that it was a great example of turning someone's passion, i.e. biking, into giving back. That was going to be the topic of this article. Upon researching the program a bit more, we discovered that this was in fact an initiative started by the local coffee roaster itself, in partnership with the Portland bike community.
Their mission is simple: Give the people what they need. In this case, the people are coffee farmers who Duane Sorenson of Stumptown met on a coffee buying trip. What they needed was bicycles. Why? Because bikes enhance the quality of life for both the farm workers and the coffee they produce.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this social mission is that it was born out of a single question, "What do you need?"
What is it that the world needs most right now?
What is it that you need to make this life better for you, for all of us?
What is it that you need help with? What is it you need to ask for?
What is it that you can't live without? Do you really need anything?
For some it's bicycles. For others it's....
Please give us your answers below.
  
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