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Bike & Build riders get warm welcome Mary Jacobs, Aug 11, 2009
COURTESY PHOTO
Young adults ages 18-25 ride cross-country each summer through the nonprofit Bike & Build.
By Mary Jacobs Staff Writer
United Methodist hospitality is getting a lot of positive, unsolicited buzz this summer from young adults participating in cross-country tours for the nonprofit Bike & Build.
Churches across the U.S. are hosting teams of young people, ages 18-25, who travel for two months to raise money and awareness for affordable housing organizations.
While Bike & Build has no official ties to the denomination, “we do wind up staying with a lot of churches, and I think we stay with more United Methodist churches than any other,” says Brendan Newman, Bike & Build’s program director.
This summer, 255 young people are riding eight different cross-country routes with Bike & Build. Each participating young person has raised $4,000 in funds to go on a trip.
Riders stop in towns along their routes and participate in construction efforts at affordable housing sites that are in progress. The riders also meet with local officials and community members to discuss affordable housing issues.
Each trip leader finds accommodations in advance along the designated route, using Google maps to locate community groups that might be willing to provide sleeping accommodations and a meal or two for the visiting team. Mr. Newman wasn’t able to say how many United Methodist churches are serving as hosts, but estimates the denomination accounts for a significant number of those hosting riders for the 400 overnight stops the groups will make this summer.
“Usually, the Methodist churches are one of the first we call, because we tend to have very good luck with them,” said Mr. Newman. “And I think y’all can cook better.”
Most of the bikers “blog” their trips along the way, and several have praised the reception they’ve received from their Methodist hosts.
“Little Rock was great,” wrote rider Molly Widmyer. “We had a day off and the United Methodist Church there was really amazing to us. They helped us unload our trailer, did our laundry, had a snack for us when we arrived, provided meals for us for 2 days, and helped shuttle us to downtown. They really were amazing people.”
“Slept the night in another United Methodist church,” reported biker Nick Van Horn from a stop in Westfield, N.Y. “The vast majority of our stays have been with United Methodists, great hospitality and much appreciated.”
Similarly, rider Larry Galante praised the “superb hospitality” of United Methodist churches in Yellow Springs, Ohio and Rushville, Ind.
“We have had the most wonderful hosts,” he blogged. “They were both United Methodist Churches that were so excited to have us. In Yellow Springs we were shuttled to people’s homes where we enjoyed a luxurious private shower, with REAL towels and everything! Then we had a fantastic dinner and after, as if we weren’t spoiled enough, they shuttled us out to Young’s Jersey Dairy where we had some amazing free ice cream.”
This is Bike & Build’s seventh summer, and thus far the organization has donated $1.6 million and 30,000 volunteer hours to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together. Mr. Newman says that, with 255 participants this summer, the group hopes to donate an additional $500,000 and 12,00 volunteer hours.
COURTESY PHOTO
Riders stop in towns along their routes and participate in construction efforts at affordable housing sites that are in progress. The riders also meet with local officials and community members to discuss affordable housing issues. 
