One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure

It is not uncommon to spot many bikes in deep disrepair clogging our bike lots. Donnovan Somera Yisrael ‘89 is a Stanford well-being coach by day and bike repairman by night. 

Fueled by his climate anxiety, Donnovan collects unusable bikes from across campus (in coordination with university partners) and fixes them for international and FLI (First Generation and/or Low-Income) students – patching and inflating flat tires, sewing torn seats, replacing sticky grips, mending broken chains, and more.

He’s been doing this for a few years, giving away well over a dozen bikes every quarter. Rebuilding bikes from the ground up is not only Donnovan’s happy place, but also a great way to help students avoid expensive bike costs — and it keeps bikes out of the landfill! 

Donnovan believes that contributing to a sustainable world is all about finding a tangible thing to do – even if it’s small. He proudly represents a drop in the bucket toward a sustainable future. After all, many droplets can fill a bucket to the brim. 

Explore ways to donate bikes and other items on campus.