Dear Pedal People,

First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for being here on our website, reading our news, showing your support. This newsletter is our way of showing you the progress we’ve made in the first half of the year, shipping the donated bicycles and sewing machines we’ve collected in the tri-state region. Thank you for taking a moment to read about the work you have allowed us to do.

We’ve had a really awesome spring season that honestly surprised me with its results. Heading into spring, I was white-knuckling it unsure of how well we’d do, or what world events might come up that could jeopardize our work. Coming off the heels of the longshoremen’s strike in the fall, we thought the shipping world couldn’t get any tougher. Then came tariffs.

I’m not here to comment on or critique them, other than to say they have affected our operations. The shipping industry is clutching its pearls and has slowed down significantly due to the large number of unknowns in the world. Working under tight time constraints, balancing a small warehouse, and organizing volunteers becomes much harder when the world is at odds with us. Big problems like these leave big strains on small operations like ours.

While there have been more challenges getting our bicycles out the door, we’ve managed to weather the storm thanks to your support. I was blown away by our donors once we started our spring season. In these polarizing times, I was unsure how the public would respond to our cause this spring. Thankfully, it’s become clear to me that Americans remain united and ready to help their neighbors.

While the news and media seem ever more divided and discombobulated, the experiences I’ve had on the ground are filled with amazing community efforts. The words of encouragement we’ve received this spring have been deeply moving. People are rooting for us to continue serving our neighbors abroad, with a sense of sincerity I’ve never felt before. This support and the stories I’ve heard from our friends overseas have helped me tremendously to keep going.

I hope the following stories motivate you to keep going too. They shine a light on dark corners of the world that are full of love once discovered. Belize holds the title for some of the toughest living conditions in the world, with the lowest GDP in Central America. Kosovo is a nation marching for recognition, overshadowed by other complicated European politics. Sierra Leone and Togo have been placed on travel bans, while posing no threat to the U.S. Wire transfers from Albania and Guatemala are still flagged by our banks. And yet, these are all countries fighting for their voices to be heard. These are all countries we proudly support.

We hope this newsletter shows you why it’s worth standing behind our friends around the world. Rallying around the simple symbol of freedom a bicycle represents can be a guiding force in how we live our lives. Thank you for supporting our world through the gift of donating a bicycle, giving people the freedom they deserve.

Sincerely, Alan Schultz, President P4P and SP