A 'Blessing With Bikes And Building' Makes A Hudson Valley Pit Stop

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The cyclists arrived in New Rochelle to a police escort and all the fanfare that might be expected to celebrate a feat of endurance. Although the riders would make New Rochelle their home for much of the holiday weekend, there wasn't much time to rest up for the next leg of the journey.

The 4-week-long, 13-state summer bicycle journey from Tybee Island, Georgia to Portland, Maine features iconic southern towns, beautiful beaches, the Delmarva peninsula, the Statue of Liberty, and a ride through New England, but in the picturesque Hudson Valley, the Fuller Center of Greater New York City is putting the cyclists to work.

Fuller Center for Housing of Greater New York City CEO Jim Killoran and cyclists from the Hudson Valley welcomed the 40 riders from across the country when they arrived at Pier 11 in lower Manhattan on Friday and accompanied the riders as they made their way to New Rochelle, continuing a 1,478-mile charity ride to raise awareness of the housing crisis facing the region and cities across the nation.

"This is a blessing with bikes and building," Killoran said. "We want to bring attention during our Juneteenth kickoff weekend, the crisis of lack of housing and homeownership in New York, and kick off a five-year campaign to build Fuller starter homes."

Despite the threatening skies and severe weather warnings, the riders arrived in the Queen City on the Sound damp, but invigorated.

The cyclists were treated to a dinner with appropriately generous portions at Holy Family Church in New Rochelle, but it wasn't long before the riders would be put to work. Marking the celebration of hope, the 40 bicyclists would soon be volunteering their time on Saturday, renovating homes for ownership and rehabilitating neighborhoods in Westchester County.

There might not be a better way to really see the country than on two human-powered wheels, but while the cyclist volunteers on the east coast journey were treated to one of the best "scenic routes" in North America, the long-distance ride isn't quite as glamorous as one might imagine.

And the cyclists on this trip wouldn't have it any other way.

The riders and their volunteer support teams sleep in church basements, fire halls and community centers. In New Rochelle, they were hosted by the Church of the Holy Family. Apparently, visitors who are exhausted from riding up the coast and stopping to build homes make pretty good guests.

"No one needs to tell us it's time for bed," Mark Remson jokes, nodding to the air mattresses that dotted the hall and temporary base of operations for the riders. "The nice thing is, because we stop for the night at places that welcome us, that means that nearly all of the money raised goes straight to building homes. The Fuller Center Bike Adventures are on pace to raise $450K — I think we are going to get there."

SEE ALSO:

• 9/11 Build-a-thon Meets A Solemn Day With A New Kind Of Resolve
  
• Honoring The Long Road To Ida Recovery And Getting Ready For Tomorrow
  
• Fuller Center Races To Help Ida Families Before Cold Weather Arrives

That money is raised for a cause that pays dividends, not just for those who are helped to buck the obstacles and move into homes of their very own, but for for entire communities that will see generational wealth slowly built through the equity of neighbors.

But the ride is also intended to raise the alarm about the growing housing crisis in New York and across the county. While younger generations will not do as well as their parents, more and more, they will also be missing out on the security that comes with homeownership.

"We have to be thinking about Generation Z," Killoran said. "It just feels so special that these cyclists are visiting and doing this important and vital work in the community on a holiday weekend that is already so monumental. I hope this helps open people's eyes to how critical this mission is at the moment."

Then, of course, there is the hands-on work the the Fuller Center of Greater New York City is engaged in day in and day out. This weekend, there are dozens of new faces at the worksites. You might think riding hundreds of miles a day would have these cyclists ready to take it easy, but this group was raring to go, even after five straight days of cycling, often from sun-up to sundown.

"We actually look forward to the build days," Remson said. "For one, you're using a different set of muscles, but more than that, it's a blessing to be able to make this big of an impact with your time. A lot of times, because we are moving on to the next town, we don't always get to see the project completed. Here, we are getting a chance to see the job done and even meet the families."

Remson, who has been pedaling up the coast with his wife Sandi since late May, said that the tour has helped them to feel a lifelong connection to a community they first set foot in just hours early.

"This city, the people we met along the way, will always have a place in my heart," Sandi Remson said. "Plus the weather has been beautiful, and you can't underestimate the importance of that when you're traveling by bike."

Lucky for us, there is no need to ride a bike thousands of miles to help literally build a future for families in the Hudson Valley. Killoran, who promises to never turn a volunteer away, says the Fuller Center Of Greater New York City is looking for support as it works to create Fuller Center starter home projects that Killoran hopes can be replicated in builds across the country.

The Fuller Center for Housing, founded in 2005 by Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Millard Fuller, works in more than 100 communities across the United States and in 20 countries, repairing homes and building new homes for ownership. The Fuller Center has earned the highest level 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

For more information, to support the Bike Adventure project or to volunteer, check out the links below:

• Fuller Center of Greater NYC website
• Fuller Center of Greater NYC Facebook