SEATTLE, WA - In the midst of a month-long bicycle ride that began in Seattle and will conclude in San Francisco, six youthful bicyclists took a pause from pedaling and spent the day learning at Oleson Woods on Wednesday, July 30. Oleson Woods is one of five apartment complexes in the Portland area owned by Community Partners for Affordable Housing, a nonprofit organization that provides safe, healthy, affordable housing to needy individuals and families in Tigard, Tualatin and Southwest Portland.
CPAH's commitment to affordable housing and green building attracted the members of Ride Green Build Green, a Seattle-based bicycling group that formed in January on the premise of raising awareness, advocacy and funds for affordable, green housing projects. "I came to thinking of doing something like this because I work for Habitat in Humanity in Washington, and I saw how much our affiliate was struggling to build green. As far as energy efficiency, it made so much sense for lower income families, in addition to just being sensible and good for our community," leader Elise Cope explains.
Cope enlisted other riders to form a group. Members would need to be passionate about the cause, willing to devote a full month to the ride and ready to participate in a variety of creative fund raisers. Cope says the group had up to 15 or 16 members at one point, but in the end it was seven dedicated riders who set off on the ultimate journey (six of these members were in Portland for the interview, a seventh was set to meet the group in Eugene).
Mike Eader, who hasn't owned a car for two years, says he has never biked a far distance but does enjoy bicycling. He has also never built homes but was interested in learning more about building and staying in tune with the environment. Jesse Card, who describes himself as "green-minded," says his reasons for joining the group are simple: "I'm trying to keep a low footprint as much as possible, and it sounded fun," he says.
In the months prior to the ride, each cyclist raised money to support LEED certification for a home to be built by Habitat for Humanity in East King County, Wash. They hosted yard sales. They sent emails requesting donations to friends and family. They sold T-shirts (which they got from Goodwill stores and screen-printed themselves) at a local bar in Seattle. They took part in a movie screening at Central Cinema in Seattle. They received sponsorship from Reload, Alchemy and Ortlieb and are still in the process of raffling donating bags. They organized house shows with musical and spoken word performances.
Throughout their journey, the riders have been visiting organizations devoted to affordable and green housing. At each of the sites, they either volunteer their services or take tours to educate themselves. Some of the lessons have been surprising, like when Eader recently found out about the advantages of low-flow toilets. "Some people worry about them being less clean, and in my mind I'm thinking, well, clean them more often, but at the same time they use the minimum amount of water needed to get the job done. I keep learning tidbits like that," Eader says.
Liz Nixon, a recent graduate from the University of Washington architecture program, is taking everything in from an architectural perspective. She is particularly interested in community design and multi-use design. "I took a large interest in how design can foster community involvement," she explains. Nova Clawson, a member of the advocacy group Seattle Likes Bikes, has been living in a cooperative house with a strong community and knows first hand the struggles of being a low-income artist and writer.
Laura Felice agrees, having struggled with finding affordable housing. "I'm also particularly interested in sustainable transportation and very interested in learning more ab
Source: TigardTimes.com