Amanda Lewis

I recently joined the board of Charlie’s FreeWheels, a Toronto non-profit that uses bicycles to mobilize, empower, and engage young people. Its flagship program is Build-a-Bike, which teaches basic bicycle building, mechanics, and safety skills to youth. Participants leave the program with a bike they have built, along with a lock and helmet.

I first learned about Charlie’s while on an Otesha tour of farms in southern Ontario about four years ago. A mechanic from Charlie’s helped kick off our tour by teaching our group basic bike maintenance.

I’ll be heading up the communication and marketing committee, and am excited to share the work of Charlie’s with a wider audience.

Images courtesy of Charlie’s, via Torontoist.