Bike and Build is a non profit organization that benefits affordable housing. Specifically, they fund projects planned and executed by young adults. Bike and Build has donated $1,144,231 in the past 5 seasons, and has pedaled over 2.2M miles, spreading the word about the affordable housing crisis in America. The summer after I graduated from LSU (2006) I rode a bike from Providence, R.I., to San Francisco, California with 30 other people about my age.
It changed my life in SO many ways! I had the greatest time ever. We would bike about 75 miles everyday and then at night we slept in churches, or YMCAs, or camped out. We had a van that one of four leaders would drive each day that carried our alloted duffle bag. Each night once we got to where we were staying we would give a presentation on affordable housing. We each had to raise $4000 in order to go on the trip. Then the trip uses as little money as possible, think lots of peanut butter, so that the remainder can be used for the affordable housing cause. We also stopped a few times and had Build Days where we would build with the local Habitat for Humanity Chapter. It was neat to see how differently different chapters build and are organized. I ended up putting in 2nd story windows at one place – never again! Tall ladders and hammering aren’t my deal as it turns out.
It was an incredible adventure with some even more amazing people. There were state fairs, and impromtu swimming opportunities, and tubing down rivers, and baseball games, buffalo burgers to name just a few. I don’t know if there’s ever been a time when I woke up that content to be where I was. I rode my bike, and got to know people, and spread the word about affordable housing. The riding was encouraging, the views were ridiculous and the people were challenging. Anybody want to pay me to live that life forever? Let me know.
These last two pictures are of us near the top of Trail Ridge Road, the highest contiuously paved highway in the country, and when we actually got into San Fran. We biked over the Golden Gate Bridge that day. So so great.
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