The route

Week:
Date	City - State	Mi.
05/25	Manteo - NC	0
05/26	Manteo - NC	0
05/27	Swanquarter- NC	64
05/28	Belhaven - NC	48
05/29	Greenville - NC	54
05/30	Wake Forest - NC	77
05/31	Chapel Hill - NC	58
06/1	BUILD DAY	0
06/2	BUILD DAY	0
06/3	Winston-Salem - NC	76.8
06/4	Taylorsville - NC	69.8
06/5	Linville Falls - NC	54
06/6	Asheville - NC	50
06/7	Gatlinburg - TN	85
06/8	Maryville - TN	40
06/9	BLITZ BUILD	0
06/10	DAY OFF	0
06/11	BLITZ BUILD	0
06/12	BLITZ BUILD	0
06/13	BLITZ BUILD	0
06/14	BLITZ BUILD	0
06/15	Sweetwater - TN	40
06/16	Dulap - TN	77
06/17	Sewanee - TN	55
06/18	Pulaski - TN	85
06/19	Savannah - TN	77
06/20	Bolivar - TN	47
06/21	Memphis - TN	70
06/22	DAY OFF	0
06/23	Waldenberg - AR	75
06/24	Mountain View - AR	85
06/25	Harrison - AR	78
06/26	Rogers - AR	70
06/27	Grove - OK	60
06/28	Bartlesville - OK	80
06/29	BUILD DAY	0
06/30	Ponca City - OK	81
07/1	Cherokee - OK	85
07/2	Coldwater - KS	86
07/3	Dodge City - KS	67
07/4	Garden City - KS	53
07/5	Lamar - CO	102
07/6	Rocky Ford - CO	75
07/7	Colorado Springs - CO	96
07/8	DAY OFF	0
07/9	Buena Vista - CO	87
07/10	Gunnison - CO	85
07/11	Ouray - CO	106
07/12	Durango - CO	75
07/13	BUILD DAY	0
07/14	Cortez - CO	45
07/15	Mexican Water - AZ	76
07/16	Kayenta - AZ	44
07/17	Tuba City - AZ	72
07/18	Desert View - AZ	56
07/19	Williams - AZ	80
07/20	BUILD DAY	0
07/21	Prescott - AZ	85
07/22	Wickenburg - AZ	60
07/23	Wendon - AZ	45
07/24	Blythe - CA	65
07/25	El Centro - CA	99
07/26	Alpine Heights - CA	95
07/27	San Diego - CA	30

How to make a donation

(a) Ask me for a contribution form
(b) Donate by credit card here
(c) Send a check to:
Bike & Build
190 N. 10th Street, Suite 308
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(write my name on the memo line)

It's tax deductible! An outstanding cause! Donate $65 and get a T-shirt! And you'll make me one happy camper...who could ask for more?

About affordable housing in Orange County

The cost of living in Chapel Hill, NC is among the highest in the state, with the average cost of a new home over $564,000 and an average two-bedroom apartment going for $779 per month. Orange County's growth over the last decade has placed a significant strain on its housing market. Because of the high demand for housing and limited land availability, decent housing options for a family living on a modest income have become extremely limited. These families also have a very difficult time finding housing near Orange County's major employment centers, such as UNC-CH and UNC Hospitals.

Habitat for Humanity-Orange County brings together people who believe that these circumstances are unacceptable and that everyone, especially our neighbors, deserves safe and affordable housing. Since its start in 1984, OC Habitat has built over 150 homes...and counting. Habitat is not a charity or a give-away program. Volunteer labor is used to build homes to keep costs low for Habitat families. Families pay $1000 in closing costs and invest 325 hours of labor into building their own homes and the homes of others. Habitat provides a zero-interest mortgage of $67,500 and as homeowners pay their mortgages, the money is used to help build homes with other families.

Find out more about Habitat and affordable housing in Orange County here.

About me!

Hi, and welcome to my very first blog--a journal of my cross-country biking oddessy with the Bike and Build NC2SD team! From May 25 to July 27 this summer, I will be joining a team of 32 in bicycling from Manteo, NC to San Diego, CA to raise money and promote advocacy for affordable housing in the United States. To accomplish this goal, I am raising $4000 as an individual this spring to support local affordable housing nonprofits as well as the costs of our trip. The main beneficiary of these funds is the UNC-Chapel of the Cross Habitat for Humanity Partnership in Chapel Hill, NC. Along the course of our trip, we will be stopping in various communities to build on local Habitat for Humanity houses, including a week-long blitz build project in Maryville, TN. Whenever possible, we will be staying at local churches, schools, and community centers and giving presentations on the affordable housing issue facing America today. Find out lots more at Bike and Build's website. You can also support my efforts by making a donation to my Bike and Build account!

A quick note about me! I'm a senior graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill this spring with a double-major in Chemistry and Japanese. For the past four years, I have been a member of the UNC-COTC Habitat Partnership benefiting from our trip, and have learned just how important Habitat's work in Orange County is (more on that soon). I am a beginning biker, however, and I know this summer will be a huge physical challenge. After the end of the trip, I plan to spend a year in Japan teaching English to grade-school kids through the JET Program. The following year, I will be a first-year student at UNC School of Medicine. I hope that Bike and Build will be the first of many adventures to come over the next few years!

I will be using this blog to post pictures and stories from my team's journey this summer. I'm not sure yet how frequently I'll have access to the internet, but I hope to keep these posts as regular as possible. Because we all like to be regular.

You can contact me by leaving comments on my posts, or by email at <mgilliam at alumni.unc.edu>. Well-wishes are well appreciated!