Bikes Not Bombs recently received a city grant to green jobs and mobility training.
The grant is for $138,232.
“With the city of Boston’s funding, Bikes Not Bombs will give Boston youth the opportunity for apprenticeship, skill building, and career development. BNB uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change – and this funding will open the door for Black and marginalized Boston residents to achieve economic mobility, build relationships, and work towards a healthier Boston,” said Elijah Evans, Executive Director of Bikes Not Bombs via press release.
Bikes Not Bombs (Photo from facebook.com/bikesnotbombs)
Mayor Michelle Wu announced the recipients of Boston’s Catalyst Grants for Green Job and Mobility Training on Jan. 21. The grants will help connect residents with career opportunities in the green economy as part of Boston’s equitable and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a coastal city vulnerable to rising seas and extreme heat, Boston must be a national leader in driving a just transition to a green economy,” said Wu. “As we work to create a city Green New Deal, this is just the beginning of green workforce development for all Boston residents, delivering short and long-term benefits to Boston’s hardest hit communities.”
The grant funding was thanks to the American Rescue Plan, a federal stimulus package to assist cities in their equitable recovery from COVID-19.
"Moving to a green transportation system will require new skills and investments that will create new career opportunities for all Bostonians," said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Chief of Streets. "To make progress towards our climate goals, we need to invest in a workforce that is ready to maintain bikes and bike infrastructure, prepare buildings for electric vehicles, and support shared transportation services, from public transit to electric scooters."
In total, Boston awarded $614,962 to four organizations to provide training and placement services to prepare and connect Boston residents to green and mobility job opportunities. Along with Bikes Not Bombs, the city awarded grant money to the Benjamin Franklin Institute, Building Pathways Inc., X-cel Conservation Corps, and Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation. The four grant recipients will work to develop jobs for Boston residents including youth, those recovering from substance use, individuals experiencing homelessness, residents recently incarcerated, women and people of color from under-represented neighborhoods, as well as the underemployed and unemployed.