The Fuller Center for Housing is dedicated to eradicating poverty housing, one family at a time. The more I learn about them, the more impressed I am. Before I even signed up for this ride, I checked them out to the best of my ability. I hadn’t previously heard of the Fuller Center, and I certainly didn’t want to ask for donations to make some bureaucrats wealthy! I myself have donated $435, plus $13.05 to cover ride expenses.
The Fuller Center Bike Adventure is one of the primary ways that the Fuller Center raises funds. About 3% of the money donated to the bike adventure goes toward expenses covering the ride itself. The ride expenses are gas for the support van and laundry supplies and some food. We stay in host churches along the way, spreading the message of how to be part of the solution to substandard and unaffordable housing throughout the world.
The rest of the money goes to local covenant partners to help families build or repair their homes. Families don’t receive handouts; they receive interest-free home loans and home-improvement loans. They also get help in building or making repairs–like an old-fashioned barn-raising! On our trip, we get to participate in some of this work.
As families pay back their loans, that money goes right back into helping more families with affordable housing or home repairs. Any donation to the Fuller Center becomes a life-giving investment for years to come. To learn more about some of the individuals impacted by the Fuller Center, check out their website. They have lots of interesting stories from all over the US and all over the world.
Since I currently live in Indiana, I was happy to learn that there is an active Fuller Center Covenant Partner just down the road from me in Logansport, IN. The Bike Adventure, itself, has been through Indianapolis and worked on building projects there a couple of times. This year, the Millard Fuller Legacy Build will also be in Indianapolis. Ten new homes in just one week, July 18-23!