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Going West!

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Apr 212016
 

Our total today: $9153.00   Our goal: $25,000

Today 13 riders load up to shuttle west across Alabama in preparation to cycle with a purpose. We will have two more riders pick up with us on Sunday for the last 100 miles. I can’t believe it is that time! Between training, getting sponsors, and working out the details, the day has snuck up on us. It takes so many people to make this work. Our Beyond Bikes team at Auburn UMC have been loading a big trailer, getting our banners ready, getting all of the food and nutrition we need and getting our details for the drivers worked out. Others have been tweeting, sending out Facebook messages, shooting Instagram pictures and more to spread the word and the message. Amber, who is interning with us, has been working the logistics at all of our rest stops and keeping the riders informed of details! Cray stuff!

And that’s what brings me to the next step. The why. It’s Mr. Young who is widowed and his monthly social security is all but gone at the end of the month. There was nothing left over even to save for the Kool Seal application his mobile home needs every five years. To hire a person to do that will cost about $400. Or Ms. Maddox who is also single and living in the home her grandfather built. Water damage under aging pipes left weak spots in her floor. Living outside of a small town, the service charge is over $70…and that’s before the work. On an income of less than $900 and still having to use food assistance, these repairs are out of reach. In Tuskegee, there are a number of veterans needing housing. Yet, over 1000 homes lie vacant in the community through abandonment, foreclosure, or some other situation. Two issues needing to come together.

It’s these stories of real people with hopes, dreams, and desires that inspire us to ride. Up hills, in the rain, blazing heat, cars whizzing by…so that we can make a difference. I hope you will make a difference with us.

To follow our journey you can see us at Cycle of Service on our Facebook page as well as Alabama Rural Ministry FB page. If you want to give and help us meet our goal of $25,000 you can donate online at

https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/cycleofservice or email nancy@arm-al.org to make a pledge. Most of all pray for the safety of our cyclists and the potential families we will serve this summer and the rest of the year.

So far we have raised: $9,153.00 Thank you so much to all who have already given! It’s here

3 Days-3 States-300 Miles-Cycle of Service!

Less than 48 hours away!!!!

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Apr 202016
 
I can’t believe it starts tomorrow!!!! Wow! Crazy times! We are excited about our riders and our sponsors and are looking forward to what God will show us. Please say thank you to these people giving up there time, money, and so much more. Our sponsors are helping us achieve our goal of $25,000. Watch for the ride updates on our Facebook page and the #cos2016.
 These are the crazy people riding their bikes across the state!
  • Lisa Pierce
  • Keith Foster
  • Debbie and David Smalley
  • Mark Smith
  • Michael Azar
  • Taylor Robenalt
  • Herb Rabren
  • Lashae Rich
  • John Stevenson
  • Chase Crowson
  • Tom Meagher
  • Marlena Robles
  • Scott Middleton
  • Caroline Gardner
We’re so thankful for all our SPONSORS this year:
  • Pharmavite /Nature Made
  • Auburn Dermatology
  • Hall’s Wholesale Flowers
  • Washburn Family Dental
  • Vast Solutions
  • University Ace Hardware
  • Auburn United Methodist Church
  • Quail Hollow Gardens
  • Tiger Town Family Dentistry
  • Jimmy’s Car Stereo
  • Hosey Construction
  • All Creatures Veterinary Clinic
  • Prattville UMC
  • Memorial UMC (Selma)
  • Livingston UMC
  • Trinity UMC Phenix City
  • Vaughan Feed and Seed (Tuskegee)
  • Sabel Steel
  • RSI Small Engine Repair
  • James Brothers’ Bikes
  • Brian Hollingsworth Family Dentistry
  • Best Copies of Auburn
  • Allstate – Dee Madison
  • 122nd Troop Support Command (Selma)

Meet Two of our Riders!

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Apr 182016
 

With less than a week to our big ride, we wanted to introduce you to two more of our awesome riders!

5f198ad2-83c2-46dc-ae75-9fcb513243371Mark Smith is a native of Alabama and has lived in the Auburn area for the last 3-1/2 years after joining Pharmavite as a purchasing professional. After a long span of not cycling, he has been riding regularly for the past two years. Riding in the Cycle of Service for the first time seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine a love of cycling with service to the Lord. He looks forward to supporting ARM and their ministries to the community.

 

HerbHerb Rabren: “Why would any sane person ever ride a bicycle 300 miles in 3 days? I’m not a professional rider. I’m not being chased. For me, riding is a side note; bringing attention to and raising support for ARM by riding across the state is one way that I can help. I’ve participated with organizations like ARM in the past; hammering away, pouring concrete, cleaning up, and the like. I’ve always felt like I was the one blessed by helping others.” This is Herb’s second ride.

One Week Away!

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Apr 152016
 

One week and counting as we get ready to cycle across Alabama. Cycle of Service Sparta Challenge! 3 Days, 3 States, and 300 miles! I am excited and nervous! Our training has gone well and there have been several opportunities to ride together. It is a great community we are building.

And why would we endeavor to do this? Because we know several families, with calls coming in every day, of people and families struggling to make ends meet. A $3500 roof repair can be difficult for the average homeowner, but what if you only bring in $900/month on social security. Even to save $100/month would take three years. It’s nearly impossible. Furthermore, we know that our veterans who have served our country and fought our wars struggle to find decent housing. Finally, for over 90,000 Alabamians, there are simply not enough affordable places to live. Rental rates take up 60-70% of their monthly income leaving little room for other expenses.

These are the reasons we ride. Raising money provides the funds we need to purchase the construction supplies. Then we recruit friends and neighbors from near and far to contribute their time and love through serving and working on homes. It is a beautiful expression of the Kingdom of God at work.

You can be a part of this great work. By giving to our ride you play a vital role giving us the steam and energy to keep going. And, pass this on to others who may want to hear how we are doing. And if you would, say a few prayers of protection and success :))

You may donate online at  https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/cycleofservice  or email Nancy@arm-al.org to make a pledge. We appreciate you in advance!!!!

Building for love,

lisa

Interview with WFSA

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Apr 072016
 

Almost two weeks away! See this short interview about why we are riding and doing something so crazy. It’s not too late to register to ride with us…and you don’t have to ride all 300 miles. If you would like to give to help us towards our goal of $25,000 you can do so easily at this link: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/cycleofservice

WSFA interview link: http://www.wsfa.com/clip/12331191/alabama-rural-ministry?autostart=true

15 days and counting!!!!

Blessings,

lisa

Meet Some of our Riders

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Apr 062016
 

We are two and a half weeks away from our ride, and we wanted to introduce you to some of our riders. Today, we are featuring Debbie and David Smalley of Auburn!

 

unnamedDebbie Smalley is married to David Smalley. She has lived in Auburn since 1985. She has five children and one grandson with a granddaughter due in May. She has been a member of Auburn UMC since 1985 and has taught Sunday School for twenty years and Disciple Bible Study for twenty-two. Debbie has been cycling for eighteen years and will be riding the triple century.

 

 

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David Smalley is married to Debbie Smalley and they will be celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary in June.  David has worked at the Pediatric Clinic in Opelika/Auburn since 1985.  He has been riding since 1997 and says cycling is a wonderful way to get exercise and see the sights on our routes.  He and Debbie have taken several cycling vacations together.  He has wanted to ride the Cycle of Service in previous years but has either had work responsibilities or been out of town on the dates of the ride.  He and Debbie are looking forward to participating in the ride this year. To be able to help raise money for this Ministry is a real blessing.

 

You can see all of our rider’s profiles here!

 

Affordable Housing and Biking

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Mar 292016
 

Check out what this organization is doing! Bike rides across the country with builds in between. Affordable housing is a global, national, community issue and needs all of us working together. We are excited that Hillary Rizk will be riding with Bike and Build and designating her support to ARM. And, pumped that are own group of riders are going across Alabama to focus our efforts in our localities. Cycle of Service is just a four weeks away!

A home is affordable if payments plus taxes and basic utilities does not exceed 30% of a household’s gross income.*

Unfortunately, far too many people in the United States do not have the financial means to rent or own an affordable, durable home.

It’s especially difficult for Extremely Low-Income (ELI) individuals and families.** The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that 10.3 million individuals and families, or 1 out of 4 rental households in the U.S., fall into this category. Many of these people spend over 50% of their incomes on housing, meaning they have few funds left over for basic nutritional, medical, and educational needs.

People are not earning enough to keep pace with rising costs of living. The federal minimum wage has stagnated at $7.25 since 2009. To afford the national fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment ($806/month), an individual would need to work 86 hours at minimum wage.

Many families are relegated to homes that are inexpensive but considered physically inadequate. These may lack hot water, electricity, or plumbing. It includes units with structural deficiencies, like unsafe stairs or surfaces, handicap inaccessibility, poor insulation, and damaged roofs. Often, these homes also suffer from overcrowding, where the number of people living in the house is greater than the total number of rooms in the house. This impacts millions of homes, among both renters and homeowners.

* Definition provided by US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
** A household is considered ELI if their income is at or below 30% of the median income in their area.

For the full post and page: https://bikeandbuild.org/why-we-ride/the-affordable-housing-cause/

Thanks Hillary and to all of our riders joining us for Cycle of Service!

A Month Away!!

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Mar 232016
 

By this time next month, we will be two days into Cycle of Service! Our ride is from Selma to Tuskegee that day! We still have time if there is anyone that wants to sign up. I also wanted to recap our options to ride with us.

Triple Century- 3 Full days of century rides, 100 miles per day

Saturday or Sunday Century- Ride with us 100 miles on either one of those days

Sunday Short Options- Tuskegee to Notasulga- 22 miles; Tuskegee to Phenix City- 50 miles; or Phenix City to Auburn- 50 miles

AND-the Spin/Neighborhood option- What is this????

You can log miles with us during the month of April through your spin class, stationary bike, or on your bike in your own neighborhood. How this works: Fill out the online Cycle of Service Registration Spin Class Neighborhood RIde registration form for the Spinner/Neighborhood Ride. Pay a $25 registration either online or send to us. Download the Spin class template mile logging sheet and sponsor sheet and you are ready to go. Your sponsors can either give their pledge online or mail to us. It’s that easy! The $25 gets you  COS t-shirt and water bottle for your efforts!

I am so excited to be joining with some new friends and veteran cyclists on our ride! You can see some of the cyclists on our riders page. I hope you can find some way to plug in with us! And for those of you cycling with us-keep up the great training!

For details and to register, go to www.cycleofservice.arm-al.org

 

Blessings!

lisa

Another way to cycle with ARM and Cycle of Service!

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Mar 152016
 

Cycle of Service is just five weeks away! We are training hard and looking forward to the incredible camaraderie that comes with achieving such a goal. Hey, but there is another way cyclists can help us out if you aren’t able to get away for the weekend. We call it our Neighborhood Cyclist. From the time you register till May 1st you can log your miles either through your own bike or even a spin class.

Here is how it works. When you register, you will use a mileage log in sheet that you can track your miles on. You have until May 1st to get in as many miles close to 300 as you can. The sponsor form allows you to log your individual sponsors. They can pledge a flat rate or per mile. We ask they send in their pledge by May 7th. Sponsors can either send a check to ARM or donate on the Cycle of Service website.

Here’s how you get started. Fill out the online registration form which will go live on March 17th. You can use the PayPal option to send your  $25 or mail it into us. This will get you a COS t-shirt, water bottle, and sticker. Print off the mileage log sheet and sponsor sheet. Start cycling and log your miles! We will list your name on our web site under the cyclists. You can share you stories on our FB page and help share your experience with us!

That’s it! Pretty simple. And you will be helping ARM eliminate substandard housing and extend the love of Christ!

Sponsoring Cycle of Service

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Mar 122016
 

One way we raise funds for Cycle of Service is through Corporate Sponsorships. Businesses throughout the state and southeast have been instrumental in helping us raise our goal over the past six years. Cyclists will proudly wear your logo on our cycling shirts and you can have your logo put on our banner that goes across the heart of Alabama. If you would like to be a corporate sponsor, see the tiers below and contact lisa@arm-al.org.

OUR TEAM FUNDRAISING CURRENT AMOUNT: OUR GOAL IS $25,000!

Corporate sponsors are helping under-gird our ride! The chart below tells the sponsor flow chart:

$1000: Your logo on our jersey, website, t-shirt and on the travel trailer banner

$500 and above: Your name and logo on our website and t-shirt

$250: Your name on our  t-shirt and logo on our website

By Sponsoring Cycle of Service, you are helping ARM continue to help families receive vital home repairs. You are also helping us run two children’s day camps in low income communities in Alabama giving children an opportunity to learn about the Bible and have a safe place to grow and learn. Thanks again!!!

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