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!