Mission

To motivate individuals, groups, businesses, and even whole communities, to live lightly and more efficiently.

History

A Sebastopol, California based activist group initially incorporated as Car-Lite, we have been promoting simple, straightforward practices with significant consequences since 2001. Utilizing a wide variety of lighthearted activities, we have encouraged thousands of people to drive less, walk and bike more, carpool and take public transit, as well as to consume less, reuse, repair and recycle, buy organic, fresh and local, and to green their homes and businesses. These efforts also help build community and strengthen social networks. Our four programs, Car-Lite, Community Bikes, the Green Mentor and Zero Waste Sonoma County, all reinforce our mission and promote safety, sharing, and the development of DIY - Do It Your Self - skills.

Community Bikes, our collaborative bike shop, is a good example of this approach. A very popular program, it operates three days per week and is open to the public two of those days. Skilled volunteers, led by the shop manager, patiently teach all comers how to clean, maintain and refurbish their bikes. In exchange for shop time, participants volunteer or pay a low fee. Needy folks can trade volunteer work for a bike of their choice through our Earn-A-Bike program. LITE empowers people to go beyond their personal challenges - time, money, confidence or skill level, and helps them to change their day-to-day habits.

A working group focused on projects, LITE has four types of members:  participants, volunteers, core volunteers and staff. Thousands of people have participated in our activities, hundreds have volunteered. Twenty-five core volunteers are involved week-to-week; some work more that 80 hours per month. During the dry season, we often log 150 or more person-hours per week.

LITE welcomes collaborators - individuals and groups, interested in co-creating meaningful, enjoyable and useful initiatives. Past and present project sponsors include the cities of Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, the Sonoma County Office of Education, Sonoma County Air Quality Resource Team and the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. Financial benefactors include Bread for the Journey, Whole Foods Market, Sonoma County Community Foundation, Santa Rosa Bicycle Club (Thanks!) and the Leroy Tomasi Memorial.

For More on Programs - Click on the Program Icons on the Main Menu.

Board of Directors and Staff

A consensus based group, the LITE Board consists of five members:

Treasurer/Secretary, Program Coordinator and Co-Founder, Sammy Nasr, is a businessman activist who previously owned and operated an ecological-as-possible printing company. Appointed by Supervisor Mike Reilly, he is the District 5 Representative to the Sonoma County Task Force for Solid Waste. Chair during one of the group’s most active periods, he helped plan how the County will recycle more then 50% of their waste stream and is now working to maximize diversion and keep Sonoma County's trash under Sonoma County's control.

Jim McGreen, the President of Dloo Software, Inc., is the Founder and former President/CEO of Zap Power Systems and inventor of the ZAP electric bike. Jim is also Treasurer of the Sonoma County Climate Protection Campaign.

Kathryn Ackland is a Living Foods Chef and Instructor and owns of Rawfood Central of Sebastopol. She is also a Strategic Marketing Consultant specializing in Brand Promise Development and Management whose list of former clients includes 3M. While the Director of Client Services for The Middle Way (TMW), a training facility for developmentally disabled adults, she initiated Community Bikes, a bike repair training program and community bike shop, of which LITE was a strategic partner. In late 2004, TMW closed the training program and transferred the project to LITE.

Manuel Mejia is a multi-media web developer and a job coach. Manuel specializes in working one-on-one with developmentally disabled adults. Previously the Bike Shop Manager and Job Coach for The Middle Way, Manuel also had worked for No Barriers and Zap Power Systems.

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Staff - Bike Shop Manager

Michael Teller is a semi-retired profession bicycle mechanic with a passion for all things cycling related. An active volunteer with LITE Initiatives, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition, Santa Rosa Cycling Club, Bikes Not Bombs and The Wheelmen, Michael is well known for his remarkable expertise with vintage bikes, many of which will continue to be reusable for many years

The volunteer manager of LITE’s Community Bikes in Santa Rosa, two days a week, Michael patiently teaches all comers, young, old and/or homeless, how to maintain and/or refurbish their bikes and, at the same time, promotes bike use and safety. By enabling people to go beyond their fear of mechanics, Michael empowers them to reuse and repair their belongings. His efforts take environmentalism to a new level – practicing what you preach – driving less and biking more – and giving others tools to do the same. In 2007 Michael was awarded the Sonoma County Environmentalist of the Year Award by the Sonoma County Conservation Council.