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WEEKLY WEBCAST
Tuesdays 10am ET/7am PT |
Bike & Build
The folks at Bike & Build are on a mission to support voluntourists in getting in touch with the issues of homelessness across the United States while buring some serious calories. Discover what it can mean to make a cross-continental ride with a purpose!
Background
Bike & Build is modeled after Habitat Bicycle Challenge, a program based out of Yale University that funded New Haven Habitat for Humanity. Marc Bush, Bike & Build's founder, participated in HBC, and wanted to expand on the programs, so he started Bike & Build. 2003 was our inaugural summer with two trips, and since then we’ve added an additional trip each summer.
Philosophy
Bike & Build strives to raise money and awareness for affordable housing issues through sending young adults on cross-country cycling trips. Our program not only allows participants to see the housing landscape in every type of community across the United States, but also gets young, adventurous adults involved in a cause they may have known little about.
One of the greatest things about Bike & Build is the varied reasons people sign up to do the trip—some are avid cyclists who have wanted to do a cross-country trip; some are activists who want to spend their summers advocating for social change; some are affordable housing enthusiasts who want to dedicate their summers to the cause; and some just want to do something “crazy” for a summer before they enter the “real world”. Seeing all of these people come together and learn from each other is amazing, and each person comes out of the trip gaining something from their peers they may not have thought they would before the trip began.
Unique Voluntary Service Projects
We currently produce seven cross-country cycling trips. During each of these trips, participants stop along the way between 8 to 10 times to build with the local affordable housing groups in the area. Certain trips focus on specific areas (for example, the majority of our Southern trip’s build day are along the Gulf Coast), while other trips spread their volunteering time across the country. Participants get to witness how different affordable housing organizations approach addressing the housing crisis, and also typically will get to see houses in different stages of production.
Unique Travel Experiences
Bike & Build offers participants the chance to bike across the United States. Many people do cross-country road trips, but the majority of that travel time is spent going from point A to point B, driving on Interstates or other highways, and not really getting the chance to explore the things along the way.
Biking from coast to coast offers just that opportunity, and not only do our participants have the chance to see parts of the country they may have never been to, but they get to witness what makes America so great—the little towns along the way, the people they meet, the random beauty that can really only be seen as you intimately travel from coast to coast.
A "Day In-The-Life" (Day Itinerary for Bike & Build)
6 AM – Wakeup--pack your bags, load the van, eat breakfast.
7:30 AM – Morning meeting – the point leader goes over the days route and distributes directions; everyone participates in a group stretch and then individually checks and tunes their bikes.
Ride at your own pace – break up into groups of people you’re comfortable riding with- generally no more than 3-4 people; throughout the day stop to check out points of interest along the route.
11:30 – Lunch- support van will have set up a pre-arranged lunch stop. Everyone catches up with the group and takes a break to replenish and refuel!
3-4 - Arrive- hosts will greet you at the pre-arranged nightly accommodation location and welcome you after a long day on the bike.
- Shower- at locations pre-arranged
- Complete chore group responsibilities– riders are responsible for helping with day-to-day operations of trip. These responsibilities rotate on a weekly basis and range from cleaning the van to grocery shopping for the next day's lunch take ownership of the trip. This allows riders to take ownership of the trip and contribute to its success.
6 pm – Potluck dinner- eat, meet, and interact with local community members.
7 pm – Presentation- each trip has a PowerPoint presentation which it gives to community members at host locations. Riders share anecdotes from the trip, explain what life is like on the road, and what Bike & Build's mission is. These are a lot of fun and present an opportunity to spread awareness about the affordable housing crisis and learn about regional issues.
FREE TIME! You will have PLENTY of opportunities throughout the day and after you arrive at your night's destination to get off your bike, explore, talk to locals and relax!
Contact Information
Amelia Hanley, Executive Director
Bike & Build, Inc.
20 Jay St., Ste M08
Brooklyn , NY 11201
718-599-5925
amelia.hanley[at]bikeandbuild.org
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