B & B begins today!!

Here I go! I plan to update this map close to daily, http://trackmytour.com/HPjbm, capitalization matters so copy/paste!

If you need to reach me, please call or text me, (858) 243-5636. Love!

One week till launch!

Hi everyone! Time is ticking... graduation happened and the next thing is to make my way to Providence! I'll be headed there on Tuesday, the 5th, and our orientation begins on Thursday, the 7th.

I'm on track for training. I would have liked to have gotten more miles in during April when the frisbee season was keeping me off of my bike, but so it goes! I've ridden ~460mi on my bike (name pending) and will have no trouble reaching the minimum 500 before the start of the trip. Yesterday, I did my first 65mi ride, a little late, but done nonetheless. 

I'm feeling good, nervous, and excited! Let the riding begin!

I've posted a list of the cities I'll be going through during the ride with hopes that you'll let me know if I'm passing through a place where you'll be! Additionally, if you have any suggestions of ice cream shops, lakes, or other landmarks not to be missed, please let me know so I can be sure to stop and share with the group! Lastly, there's a list of mail drops, where we'll be able to get letters and other packages. If you'd like to send something, please do!, and be sure it arrives before the posted date.

Thanks for all of the support and encouragement thus far! I'm lucky to have all of you!

Perhaps most importantly, I'm going to have a website that is updated regularly on my whereabouts. Feel free to save this link and check in periodically! http://trackmytour.com/HPjbm

Here is my itinerary:

Date	City - State	Mi.
06/7	Providence - RI	0
06/8	Providence - RI	0
06/9	BUILD DAY	0
06/10	Plainfield - CT	37
06/11	Middletown - CT	48
06/12	Danbury - CT	65
06/13	BUILD DAY	0
06/14	Middletown - NY	79
06/15	Stroudsburg - PA	57
06/16	BUILD DAY	0
06/17	Schuylkill Haven - PA	64
06/18	Harrisburg - PA	45
06/19	Chambersburg - PA	55
06/20	Hancock - MD	41
06/21	Cumberland - MD	40
06/22	Parsons - WV	89
06/23	Weston - WV	60
06/24	Marietta - OH	85
06/25	Wellston - OH	80
06/26	Huntington - WV	56
06/27	BUILD DAY	0
06/28	Paris - KY	117
06/29	Louisville - KY	72
06/30	DAY OFF	0
07/1	Bedford - IN	73
07/2	Linton - IN	46
07/3	Effingham - IL	83
07/4	Springfield - IL	91
07/5	BUILD DAY	0
07/6	Pittsfield - IL	67
07/7	Hannibal - MO	40
07/8	Moberly - MO	70
07/9	Richmond - MO	92
07/10	Lawrence - KS	92
07/11	BUILD DAY	0
07/12	BUILD DAY	0
07/13	Manhattan - KS	79
07/14	Beloit - KS	100
07/15	Red Cloud - NE	66
07/16	Alma - NE	45
07/17	McCook - NE	75
07/18	Holyoke - CO	98
07/19	Fort Morgan - CO	94
07/20	Loveland - CO	77
07/21	BUILD DAY	0
07/22	Estes Park - CO	27
07/23	Granby - CO	65
07/24	Breckenridge - CO	81
07/25	Salida - CO	88
07/26	Gunnison - CO	65
07/27	Montrose - CO	66
07/28	Naturita - CO	87
07/29	Moab - UT	83
07/30	BUILD DAY	0
07/31	DAY OFF	0
08/1	Green River - UT	57
08/2	Capitol Reef National Park - UT	92
08/3	Otter Creek State Park - UT	80
08/4	Milford - UT	74
08/5	Baker - NV	82
08/6	Ely - NV	62
08/7	Eureka - NV	73
08/8	Austin - NV	66
08/9	Fallon - NV	110
08/10	Sparks - NV	67
08/11	BUILD DAY	0
08/12	South Lake Tahoe - CA	60
08/13	DAY OFF	0
08/14	Jackson - CA	90
08/15	Stockton - CA	45
08/16	BUILD DAY	0
08/17	Palo Alto - CA	81
08/18	Half Moon Bay - CA	24
Total Mileage: 4003 About sending mail: Bike & Build groups will receive mail approximately once a week while on the road, and welcome letters and packages from friends, family, and supporters. Mail will be delivered through USPS General Delivery. Please be sure to send mail in ample time to arrive prior to the pick-up date and only through the United States Postal Service (The Post Office will not accept mail from any other carrier). Address mail to: Bike & Build Attn: CYCLIST NAME General Delivery STREET ADDRESS (if noted) CITY, ST ZIP Please mark the envelope or package with "Please hold for pick-up on DATE." Late mail will be forwarded to the mail drop two weeks ahead. Late mail from the last two mail drops will be returned to sender. The dates: Prov. to California June 14 40 Fulton St. Middletown,NY 10940 June 21 215 Park St. Cumberland, MD 21502-9998 June 28 201 W 8th St. Paris, KY 40361-9998 July 05 2105 E Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703 July 13 500 Leavenworth St. Manhattan, KS 66502-9998 July 19 300 State St. Fort Morgan,CO 80701-9998 *Do not send to this address before June 1st July 26 200 N Wisconsin St. Gunnison, CO 81230 August 01 20 E Main St. Green River,UT 84525 August 09 120 N Maine St. Fallon,NV 89406 August 13 1046 Al Tahoe Blvd. South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 *Do not send to this address before July 13th

T-minus one month

So here we are only a month away from the start of Bike & Build! Our frisbee season ended last weekend so now I can commit my time to bike training! As you'll see in the picture below, this past week I completed my first hundred miles on my bike (name TBD). I'm having a blast riding and am looking forward to many many hundred more.

As for fundraising, I have surpassed our minimum required! Thank you everyone for your kind words and both emotional and financial support. It really makes a difference and motivates me every mile of the way!

Stay posted for more updates.

Our first 100 miles together!

Wow! Thank you everyone for your support!

Fundraising update!

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed so far! I really appreciate your support! I've been thinking of you and the huge impact we're having :)

About affordable housing...

Something you should know about housing in the United States:

There is not a state in the country where the two-bedroom fair market rent is affordable to someone earning minimum wage. Further, there is not a single county where the full-time minimum wage can cover a two-bedroom apartment.

The hourly wage a household must earn (working 40 hrs/wk, 52 wks/year) to afford the Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at 30% of income (click image to enlarge)

The number of jobs (40 hrs/week, 52 wks/yr) per household at prevailing minimum wage needed to afford the Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at 30% of income (click image to enlarge)

This outrageous, unsustainable, and we need to do something about it!

Let the training begin!

My bike arrived this week! It came in a few pieces that I put together. I then spent a few hours attaching all of the fun accessories, and finally, today, took my first ride on it! It was a solid 14 miles down the bike path to Elyria. Jackie was kind of enough to accompany me and we had a great time!

Many more wonderful rides to come! I hope to continue my training short, hour-long rides about 3-4 times per week over the next couple weeks, then I'll increase my distance.

Fundraising update: $1,838.48. Thanks for all of the support thus far! Every donation will really make a huge impact and directly assist affordable housing efforts. Please continue to support this important part of our country at this time! It's easy to make a tax-deductible contribution at bikeandbuild.org

Right out of the box

All put together!

Right before my first of many rides!

Trip update!

I have ordered my bike and all of my gear, so training will begin any day now! I'm getting very excited! I contacted a few local newspapers and am hoping they'll be willing to publish an article about me and this project. That would increase awareness and hopefully donations as well. I'm still accepting donations and am hoping to plan some events in Oberlin to increase contributions. Please consider making a (tax-deductible!) contribution if you can and, either way, please spread the word!

Bike & Build

Hi there, I’m Danielle! I’m 21 years old from the sunny land of San Diego, California. I left California in search of a new experience to connect with the rest of the country for Oberlin, Ohio, where I’ve attended college the last four years (with a few detours along the way). I’ve spent a semester in Edinburgh, Scotland, a few winters in Santa Fe and an island in what used to be the Dutch Antilles, and summers in D.C. and Oberlin. To say the least, I’ve been given incredible opportunities to connect with different people and learn about myself and my passions along the way.

This coming summer I'm going to be participating in a cross country bike ride to raise awareness of affordable housing issues in America. The group is organized through a program called Bike and Build. I'll be riding from Providence to Northern California with a group of ~30 people aged 18-28. Here's the organization's vision and mission:

• Bike & Build envisions future generations who are committed to a lifetime of civic engagement and who inspire individuals and communities to create fair, decent housing for all Americans.
• Through service-oriented cycling trips, Bike & Build benefits affordable housing and empowers young adults for a lifetime of service and civic engagement.

More info on their website: bikeandbuild.org

I'll be using this blog to provide updates on my training and fundraising progress. Fundraising is a big part of the prep for this project. I will be fundraising a minimum of $4,500. The proceeds from the trip will go towards affordable housing projects. This is the route I'll be riding. It is a total of 4,003 miles. To reach my fundraising goal of $4,500 I will aim to raise $1.12 per mile I will ride. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution that, when put together with mine and contributions from hundreds of others, will have a serious impact on the affordable housing landscape throughout the country. Check out my route and consider sponsoring a certain portion (a day, a state) of the trip. Remember, every dollar (1.12) counts and will help bring me a mile closer back to California! Contributions can be made online or by check/money order, find out more here.

My relationship with Bike and Build:

I heard about this program through my cousin, Debs Schrimmer, who shares a passion for service, activism, and awareness. The moment I heard about Bike & Build I knew I had found the perfect opportunity. Affordable housing is crucial and issues around it often go unnoticed. I have always stood for three key causes: justice, diversity, and equality. Affordable housing provides just this, and an opportunity to spread awareness and inspire others is the perfect way to make a difference. I have become very aware of issues surrounding invisible homelessness and am especially excited to bring voice to this and start to combat it by providing affordable options to those in need. I have experience building homes in high school across the border in Mexico as well as volunteering at local orphanages. I have donated my time to help out at local animal shelters, tutoring math in middle schools, teaching swimming lessons and coordinating blood drives.

I am excited to bike across the country to make a statement about affordable housing. I’m looking forward to inspiring others, and challenging myself. As I make the jump from college student to adult with the option of going in so many directions, I know that this is the perfect opportunity to develop myself and find the next step. I am especially excited to inspirit my fellow riders and complete this task. I am nervous to challenge myself physically, most every day for the duration of the program, but know that the inspiration my efforts can bring paired with the strong program community will motivate me on even the hardest of rides.

Please check out the Bike and Build website and my rider profile!

Let’s get pedaling!