Bike, run or walk your way around the world — virtually — to build homes

Many Fuller Center covenant partners across the United States and around the world are finding ways to keep our important mission of helping families have simple, decent places to live moving forward. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily applied the brakes to some of our most important outreach, fundraising and building programs. The two most notably impacted programs are the Global Builders and Bicycle Adventure.

The Fuller Center Global Builders program sends volunteer teams to more than a dozen international building locations. The fees paid by the Global Builders participants help fund the building of homes, while their volunteer efforts help get the job done as they work alongside local laborers and partner families.

The Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure’s annual cross-country ride not only raises awareness of our ministry from coast to coast, but it also is our single biggest annual fundraiser for our work.

We all are ready for life to get back to normal, and the need for our ministry’s mission of partnering with families to build simple, decent homes is more clear and urgent than ever. That’s why the Global Builders and Bicycle Adventure have combined their efforts into a single new initiative — the Global Home Challenge.

Participants can join the challenge by cycling, walking, jogging — or whatever activity you enjoy and keeps you moving. Combined with a fundraising element, the collective goal is to see people virtually travel 50,000 miles in 80 days through 80 countries. If the fundraising target of $200,000 is reached, the challenge would result in 80 new Fuller Center homes being built in 16 different countries. Of course, if the goal is exceeded, that count would rise with it.

“So much of our ministry is based around being together, whether that’s a community of volunteers riding on our Bicycle Adventures across the country or a team traveling as Global Builders volunteers to communities around the world,” said Ryan Iafigliola, The Fuller Center’s Vice President of International Programs who also founded the Bicycle Adventure more than a decade ago. “That’s why this pandemic threatens to hit at the heart of what we do.

“But our mission statement says we’re on an ‘unrelenting quest to provide adequate shelter,’ so giving up isn’t in the DNA of Fuller Center supporters,” added Iafigliola, who is teaming with Global Builders coordinator Ian Burkes and 2020 Bicycle Adventure leader Courtney Fields in this unique effort. “This new approach creatively brings our Bike Adventure and Global Builders programs together to work toward a common goal, all while protecting the safety of our volunteers and host communities.”

Global Home Challenge participants will be able to compete for prizes and stay connected to the ministry through their fundraising and weekly online get-togethers. Complete details are available at GlobalHomeChallenge.org.

join the global home challenge