Bike and Build 2014

Bike and Build

By NHS Staff

One concern that frequently pops up in the community development and affordable housing fields is getting the younger generation involved. The sustainability of many nonprofits committed to community development hinges on ensuring that Generation Y has a passionate, vested interest in continuing the exploration of neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, and other such projects.

Bike and Build has found a way to creatively address that concern.

 

In essence, Bike and Build recruits young adults (between 18 and 25) to bike across the United States. Some journeys are longer than others (true cross-country bike trips) and some are shorter (coastal rides), but all of the trips are an exciting, impressive way for these young adults to see the country on a more intimate level. Because along the way, the Bike and Build teams take time to volunteer at affordable housing organizations to learn what issues are faced by various communities and what solutions are underway to address them.

At the end of July, NHS was lucky enough to host a group of these remarkable young adults! The Coastal Drift Bike and Build team, made up of 30 individuals, rolled into New Haven on July 22, just in time to grab dinner and get a good night’s sleep. St. Thomas More Chapel was a wonderful host to them!

On the morning of July 23, the bike crew got to work on a volunteer project at an elderly resident’s house. Our Community Building & Organizing team was on hand to discuss NHS and its guiding philosophies, as well as the neighborhood dynamics that influence community development in New Haven.

 

NHS’ AmeriCorps VISTA Members were especially eager to connect with the young adults at Bike and Build. The VISTA program is another way of getting younger generations involved in affordable housing affairs, and so there was an instant connection between our VISTAs and the “bikers.”

After a successful day’s work in the community, the Bike and Build group relaxed at St. Thomas More Chapel and explored New Haven before joining our CB&O team at NHS’ office campus. We shared dinner together, discussing their journeys and our projects in a more relaxed environment.

After dinner, the intrepid team climbed to the roof of our Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab for a group photo in the last of the daylight – and it’s one of our favorite photos of the year!

We loved spending time with this unique organization and the amazing folks who join it. It was an enlightening experience – and we hope you roll into town again soon!