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A UMNS Feature
By Aaron Cross*
6:00 P.M. EST September 14, 2010
Brandt and Stephanie Ayoub biked almost 4,000 miles from Boston to Santa
Barbara, Calif., stopping along the way to help build Habitat for
Humanity homes as part of the Bike & Build program. Web-only photo
courtesy of George Ayoub.
One of the most significant parts of the “American Dream” is taking
the big cross-country road trip. Just hopping in the car and driving,
seeing all this country has to offer, sleeping in the car, eating at
roadside diners and building friendships evoke the romance of the open
road.
That dream doesn’t usually involve making the trip on bicycles. Or
building houses, for that matter. Unless you belong to Bike &
Build.
Bike & Build is a unique combination of service and adventure.
The Philadelphia-based, nonprofit organization raises both money and
awareness for the affordable housing crisis in America by empowering
youth to a life of servitude. The organization has eight cross-country
cycling routes that allow 32 riders per route to cycle across the
country from east to west.
Brandt Ayoub, 21, his sister Stephanie, 24, and 30 other young
adults from 17 states recently completed the 3,766-mile trip from Boston
to Santa Barbara in 68 days. Along the way, they had 10 “Build Days,”
where they worked with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and
YouthBuild.
In addition to riding approximately 75 miles per day, the group
often gave presentations to churches and youth groups to educate people
about the country’s affordable housing crisis, using different
statistics to illustrate their points. Prior to the trip, each
participant was required to raise $4,000. Of the pool of money that the
32 riders in Brandt’s group raised, they were able to give 88 percent
to affordable housing through competitive grants and on-the-road
donations.
So what made the siblings decide to take their act on the road?
The Rev. George Ayoub, a United Methodist chaplain and Brandt’s and
Stephanie’s father, said, “Brandt is a man for adventure. He thought of
riding cross-country with his sister for the summer. Although I agreed
with the idea of an adventure, I suggested they find a group to go
along with. Brandt did the research, and since we have always been
service-oriented as a family, Brandt found Bike & Build and thought
it was a worthy cause to support.”
Of course, this massive trip would be much more difficult without a
little help along the way. That’s where The United Methodist Church
comes in.
“Bike & Build could not possibly be as successful as it is
without the generosity of churches across the nation, primarily United
Methodist churches,” Brandt said. “We relied heavily upon United
Methodist churches for floors to sleep on across the country, and many
of the congregations were overly generous in providing delicious
meals.” He estimates that the group stayed in United Methodist churches
80 percent of the time.
It’s not only those helped by the building or the affordable home
funds that benefited from the trip, however. Those who rode were just
as blessed, according to Brandt.
“One of the greatest moments – other than arriving at the Pacific,
of course – was watching meteor showers from the rim of the Grand
Canyon. It was humbling to watch God's creations from such an
awe-inspiring location; I've never felt so small in my life.”
* Cross is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Joey Butler, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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