Hi! My name is Lizzy Whittemore and I am a 21 year old senior at Willamette University. GO BEARCATS! I am a biology major and I will graduate in May 2010. I am not completely sure what I want to do in the future, but I do know that I want to work with animals. I LOVE volunteering at the dog shelter as a dog walker and having a career involving these magnificent creatures would definitely be the dream job for me. After graduation, I hope to join either the Peace Corps or Americorps to take a little time off and figure things out before graduate school. But before I join the “real” world, I want to do something amazing and fun. When I heard about Bike and Build, I knew this experience was the answer.
I first heard about B&B on Facebook and out of curiosity, I looked at the website. I think the concept of helping people while riding a bike cross country is an AMAZING way to spend my summer. I am looking for an adventure and B&B will be a great journey mentally, physically, and emotionally. I played collegiate softball for three years and club volleyball for one, so I consider myself to be fairly athletic. But I have never really tackled such a great physical challenge as biking across the United States, which is a little nerve-wracking. However, the excitement is greater than the nervousness. I am most excited about visiting all the different communities along the way. I was an “Army Brat” growing up, so I have lived in many different parts of the country. Although moving around was difficult, I loved discovering new areas. The route that I selected meanders through some of the areas of the U.S. that I am less familiar with in order to continue with my lifelong goal of setting foot in all 50 states.
My past experience with affordable housing organizations is minimal, but my experience inspired me to do more. During my study abroad last fall, I worked with Habitat for Humanity in Cape Town, South Africa for a day. We built one room houses made of cement blocks. I was honored to be working side by side with the townspeople who would soon own the homes we were building. When the day was over, the women of the town cooked us a great meal with the very little food they had. The people were so thankful for our help that they gave us as much as they could while constantly showed their gratitude. After that experience, I was determined to help out with the cause in the United States when I returned from my study abroad. I have been oriented to help out with Habitat for Humanity in the Mid-Willamette Valley, but I have not had the chance to make it out to the site yet. However, I plan to become more involved within the coming months. Affordable housing is a rare find in thee Mid-Willamette Valley area and it is not uncommon for families to move twice in the same year to be able to afford their home. When I was growing up, I found moving every other year difficult and I could not imagine the hardships faced by the children in these families.
During my life, I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with a great home and being able to help build a home for others is an indescribable feeling. I am looking forward to spreading the word about affordable housing in America and helping raise money for the cause, especially during these times of economic hardship. The Bike and Build program will be a great opportunity to begin what will hopefully be a lifelong opportunity to help build affordable housing.
Show latest update from from Elizabeth's blog