Happy New Year! As you may or may not know, this summer I'm participating in another cross country cycling trip with Bike & Build - and this time as a leader.
Last summer, Bike & Build was one of the most purposeful and meaningful summers I had, and it was made possible thru all the generous donors who helped in alleviating the affordable housing crisis in America.
Bike & Build was an inspiring experience to me and all of the people we touched along our trip. The challenge of each ride combined with the community building my group contributed made waking up every morning just as exciting as the first, and each day richer than the last. Serving others was a privilege and a gift, and I saw firsthand what a group of dedicated and spirited young adults can do. My group fundraised a little over $139,000 last year for affordable housing and built houses all across America (see the attached pictures!).
As a graduating electrical engineering senior of the University of Virginia in just five short months, I have one last free summer before heading off to my first job at Accenture in the fall. I want to use this time to inspire another group of young adults to feel as passionately as I do about making a difference.
I will be leading a cross-country cycling trip with Bike & Build on May 19th for two months, from Virginia Beach, VA to Canon Beach, OR. During the trip, we stop an average of once a week and dedicate a full day to helping a local housing project. With thirty riders on the Central US route alone, plus the other seven routes that Bike & Build runs across the country, there will be nearly 250 volunteers hammering nails, painting walls, and pedaling for the cause this summer.
As I mentioned, each trip has around thirty 18-25 year old young adults, including 4 leaders. I am part of that leadership team, helping plan where we stay, which housing projects to work on, planning meals and the daily rides, as well as keeping the group on track with pre-trip fundraising and training.
In order to participate, I need to raise $4000, but my goal for this trip is to raise $5000 because I know firsthand that the effects this organization has on the communities we pass through is profound.A portion of this money will fund the trip, but Bike & Build (a nonprofit organization) allocates a majority of the money to affordable housing organizations. In my case, part of the money will benefit the Charlottesville Habitat for Humanity. The remainder will be pooled by Bike & Build to make contributions to the affordable housing groups in the communities that we stop in, and for a competitive grant program.
You money will benefit affordable housing in America. Affordable housing is not just an issue, it is a national crisis, and my summer allowed me to see how it spreads to all parts of America and does not disappear.
With your help I can reach and a possibly surpass my goal. You can learn more information from the website www.bikeandbuild.org or feel truly free to ask me. If you can help (between now and April), I hope you will.
Tax deductible donations are accepted:
- online (preferred and easiest), by visiting the Bike & Build website (www.bikeandbuild.org/donate) and by choosing my name (Sharif Morad) from the drop down menu.
- by mailing a check with my name on it to Bike and Build at
In the meantime, as part of my commitment to Bike & Build, I’ll be working this spring preparing for the trip, learning about affordable housing, training, and of course- helping to build homes. Many thanks for your support, and don’t forget to tell anyone else who you think might want to donate too!
Sincerely yours,
Sharif
Photo’s From This Past Summer (North Carolina to San Diego 2009)
My trip framing and raising a wall with Habitat for Humanity in Chapel Hill, NC
A group of us built this ramp in one day to make the home wheelchair accessible in Ashville, NC
Laying the foundation for a house in Colorado Springs, CO. The house was completed a week later by another Bike & Build trip that came through and did a week long blitz build.
