Do I look like a cyclist?

When I was 7, my then- 13 year-old brother was going through quite the bmx phase. He was constantly striving to learn new tricks and get the latest gear as a way to pass the time in the less-than-exciting town of Lubbock, Texas. While today my brothers remain two of my closest friends, as a kid they were my absolute idols. I wanted to follow them everywhere and do whatever they did. So if Ben was going to get into biking, so was I.

My tricks were not as showy and, well, about what you’d expect from a seven year-old girl. It probably didn’t help my street cred that my bike was just about as girly as they come (shocking, I know).  Ben eventually grew out of that bmx phase, but never out of biking as last year he rode 5,000-miles across Africa with his friend Spencer.  I suppose I never grew out of being envious of my big brother and trying to find ways to put a spin on his excursions.  But Bike and Build is my adventure and is about proving to myself that I can do something of this magnitude, rather than simply impress my older brothers.

I have flirted with the idea of biking cross-country for ages and have always felt that if I see a problem, I should be able to fix it.  I owe it to myself to try at the very least. Bike and Build is seemingly the perfect fit for me and although there is still a great deal of preparation yet to be completed, I know every second of it will be so, so worth it.  A great adventure, amazing people, and helping others? What is not to love?

It goes without saying that biking coast to coast will be a physically exhausting feat. And while I’ve always considered myself an athlete, I still am not completely sold on identifying myself as a cyclist. Sure I love going on bike rides and even have a sticker on my “fun bike” that proudly proclaims “I ❤ my bike” – but does any of this merit me the title “cyclist”? As I dive into training for the trip I suppose I will learn what it is that earns one that title and once I arrive in Monterey, California, I hope I’ll have earned that designation.

I received some official Bike & Build gear recently.

So what do you think- do I look like a cyclist?

Be the change you wish to see in the world,

Arden

Affordable Housing? Part 1

So what is this Affordable Housing thing? Making it cheaper to live off-campus?  Not so much.  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines housing as affordable to a low-income family so long as the cost of housing, including rent or mortgage/tax payments plus basic utilities, does not exceed 30% of the income before taxes. A family is considered to be low-income so long as their annual income is less than 80% of the median for the area, a number determined by HUD. In 2001, 4.8 million working families spent over half of their income on housing but by 2010 this number had jumped to 9.5 million. What does this mean? Simply put, people are not making enough each year to keep up with the rising living costs.

Fair Market Rent (FMR) is a number that is a gross estimate for rent in a given geographic region. HUD calculates FMR using a number of metrics including census data on average income, population density, and the Consumer Price Index for an area as well as examining local going rates for rent.  Naturally, FMR varies dramatically depending on the area – Manhattan’s FMR is greatly higher than that of Ketchem, Idaho.

One issue facing low-income families is that the federal minimum wage is not indexed with inflation. The costs of food, gas and rent are constantly subjected to inflation but it takes Congress’ approval to increase minimum wage.  In no county in the nation can an individual work 40 hours per week at minimum wage and afford even a one-bedroom apartment at the local FMR. Not a single county!

Additionally, there simply isn’t enough affordable housing to support all of those in need of it.  Sadly, many people are forced to prioritize housing over other necessities such as food or healthcare in order to avoid homelessness. Children in overcrowded housing situations have been proven to “much less likely“ to complete their homework than children in adequate homes and having enough space promotes healthy family relationships.

I can’t wait to get out and not only raise money for affordable housing programs but to also physically build them! Studies also have proven that new affordable housing developments improve property values, the property tax base, and residential sales prices in surrounding neighborhoods. SO much good will come from this summer and I just want to go now!

Peace,

Arden

Harambee

Harambee translates to “all pull together” in Swahili. I first learned this word in 4th grade choir when for our winter concert we sang a song about Kwanzaa. It later came to hold further meaning on “freshmen Fridays” in high school cross country when we would find songs that everyone could sing to try to liven up the run. The Kwanzaa song became a crowd favorite. I didn’t learn the exact meaning of the word until this post, but I find it rather fitting.

A trip of this magnitude requires loads of preparation! I have hundreds of miles of cycling to cover, biking gear to obtain, funds to raise, and homes to build? As part of my preparation, I will spend several Saturdays this spring working with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. Bike & Build is not merely about the biking, after all. I must learn how to build! My extent of tool-related knowledge dates back to middle school shop class – where I did make a pretty cool locker shelf thing, but still, limited knowledge. I can work a hammer and am a quick learner so I hope it won’t be too tough.  Next Saturday I’ll be going to a volunteer orientation to learn the basics of what a volunteer does, but first I wanted to get a better understanding of what Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity does!

It was founded in 1984 and has since built over 500 houses, primarily in the Amani, Harambee, and Washington Park neighborhoods of the city. Growing up in Whitefish Bay, a comfortable suburb of Milwaukee, I was fairly ignorant of the importance of Affordable Housing. It wasn’t until recently that I realized how greatly the issue affects the city I call home. When reading about what Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity does, it mentioned three neighborhoods that it primarily works with. I only recognized one. To further my sheltered and naïve feelings, the only reason I even had heard of Washington Park is because I ran a couple cross country races there in high school.

One aspect of the Habitat Humanity that I think is marvelous is what they call “sweat equity.” The homes are built with the future homeowners in conjunction with volunteers. How cool would it be to be able to say that you helped build your own home? Seldom happens these days! 2011 was a big year for Milwaukee Habitat as it built 40 new homes, repaired 30 and worked with over 16,000 volunteers. Awesome. What a great community effort!

I’m excited to see how I can help Milwaukee Habitat in their efforts and also to learn about construction. Wearing a hard-hat will definitely be a first! I’ll be sure to post updates on my experience working with Milwaukee Habitat  🙂

Also, here is an interesting (and slightly outdated) article on foreclosure in Milwaukee County and how it has specifically affected the Amani neighborhood. It shows that the financial burden of foreclosures on the city is something quite notable but also describes the dangers of having thousands of foreclosed homes. Interesting stuff.

Happy Tuesday!

Arden

Here we go!

Ah! First time writing a blog. Must say I’m slightly intimidated. Mostly because there is just SO much to say and I’m worried I won’t do it justice. Please bear with me!

For those of you who don’t know, this summer I’ll be joining an amazing cast of about 30 riders to bicycle from Jacksonville, Florida to Monterey, California. We’re riding for an amazing organization called Bike & Build  that aims to raise funds and awareness for Affordable Housing! Along the way we will stop and swap a bike helmet for a construction one as we work with programs such as Rebuilding Together and Habitat for Humanity to actually build Affordable Housing options! In preparation I am working to raise at least $4500 and will be volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Milwaukee in order to get a taste of the whole building thing.

Of the 8 routes it offers, my fellow riders and I are the crazy ones who take the southern US route. I cannot wait to meet the incredible individuals that I will be traveling nearly 4,000 miles with! Makes me want to edit Shakespeare a bit and say “For he that sheds his (sweat) with me. Shall be my brother” because with a route like that, we know there will be a great deal of sweat (and some awesome tan lines!)

This blog will be the chronicles of this grand journey! It’ll have fundraising updates, articles on Affordable Housing, and, ultimately, tales/ from the trip itself!

To donate to my ride and see my personal bio please see http://www.bikeandbuild.org/rider/6123

Thanks,

Arden

Shirts! Shirts! Shirts!

As part of my fundraising efforts I will be selling some pretty awesome t-shirts! The final design is still not completely finished, but this is roughly the idea! I am so fortunate to be surrounded by some very talented people in my life and with the help of two friends, Jon and Kaj, the shirt will be completed!

The colors are still to be determined but overall I think it looks snazzy, and will only get better! Hope you like them too!!