Story from Aaron Campbell, reporter for FOX KRBK.
A group biking across the country has stopped in Springfield to help Habitat for Humanity spruce up a local neighborhood.
“Working on 16 houses, or in this case, a revitalization project” says Rachel Barron, a Bike & Build rider.
Its and organization called ‘Bike and Build’
“We’ve done roofs, we’ve insulated basements, so some pretty tough construction work” continued Barron.
The group is biking from Portland, Maine to Santa Barbara, California. The entire journey, taking roughly 2 and ½ months, and they’re helping to build affordable housing along the way.
Linda Hexter, another member of the Bike & Build rider says “Buildings are so rewarding when you start a project and its maybe a little intimidating in the morning, you haven’t worked with a certain tool before, but by the end of the day you’re a pro, and you have a finished product, that’s really rewarding for me”.
And for homeowner Jennifer Brizendine, the help means everything, “This neighborhood is low income, so to have programs like this for families like us, its great, I appreciate it so much”.
After finishing the paint job on the rest of the house today, Bike and Build will then head home for some sleep and then head towards Joplin, Missouri tomorrow where they will continue the rest of their journey. So far, the group has helped with 8 build sites, and nine other types of builds.
“I’m looking just to challenge myself physically and mentally, and i really just wanted to do something good for the world” concluded Barron.
The thirty person bike group travels around 75 miles per day, and is expected to work their way to Santa Barbara by September first.
See the full story on the FOX KRBK website.