As posted on NJ.com, two of my friends are biking from Boston, Massachusetts to Santa Barbara, California to raise awareness for affordable housing nationwide. Great job Sarah and Lesley!

2 Hunterdon natives biking across country for Habitat for Humanity

by Veronica Slaght/For The Star-Ledger

Tuesday May 26, 2009, 8:26 PM

Two North Hunterdon High School alums are bikers with a cause.

Lesley Greene and Sarah Royal, friends since their years together at North, will be biking from Boston to Santa Barbara, Calif., this summer to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, the world's largest nonprofit affordable housing organization. Every few days, the 25-year-olds will stop along the way and trade their bikes for hammers to help build homes.

Greene and Royal, whose parents live in Clinton Township, are undertaking the adventure through a nonprofit organization called Bike & Build. They will pedal a total of 3,700 miles through 12 states with a group of young people. Their epic bike ride starts June 17 and ends Aug. 21.

The Hunterdon natives said they see this as a chance to have a great adventure, and at the same time, spread the word about affordable housing, said Greene.

"I'm sure it's going to be tough, but it's so exciting to take on such a huge task and know that you are helping an important cause at the same time," Greene said. In each town they visit, the group will promote affordable housing and enlist the community to get involved in the cause.

According to Habitat for Humanity, more than 5.1 million American families have "worst-case" housing needs, in which they endure overcrowded conditions or live in physically deficient houses, Royal said. More than 13 million American households pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing, she added.

Of trying to raise money in these tough times, Royal said, "We all know the economy is terrible, but this means that the struggle to find affordable housing is now more difficult than ever."

The economic recession also adds a level of risk to Royal and Greene's bike ride -- the two young women quit their jobs.

Greene, who lives in Chicago, quit her job at the Elks National Foundation. She will start an MBA program at Northwestern University in the fall. Royal, living in Portland, Ore., was working at Big Brothers, Big Sisters until recently. She has "absolutely no idea" what she'll do when she's done biking across the country, but says she'll figure it out.

Both Greene and Royal are avid riders and love traveling, so they couldn't think of a better way to see the country. "I started riding to work in Chicago and just fell in love," Royal said. "Once Lesley found out that we could ride across the country and help such an important cause at the same time, I didn't hesitate to apply."

Royal said the group is mostly college students, "so we're kind of the old people."

Bike & Build was founded in 2002. Since its inception, Bike & Build has contributed $1,643,145 to housing groups to fund projects planned and built by young adults, she said.

Other New Jerseyans riding from Boston to Santa Barbara this summer are Cali Bulmash of Teaneck, a freshman at the University of Virginia, and Lawrence Galante of Morristown, a fourth year architecture student, also at the University of Virginia.

Contributions to their cause can be made in any denomination, but a per-mile donation is recommended. Sponsorship at a penny a mile would be $37, two cents a mile would be $74, and so on. In order to participate, bikers must raise at least $4,000.

To contribute, visit bikeandbuild.org/donate and choose either "Greene, Lesley" or "Royal, Sarah" on the rider selection pull-down menu. Alternatively, checks can be made out to Bike & Build with the memo reading "Lesley Greene and Sarah Royal" and mailed to 6109 Ridge Ave, Bldg 2, Philadelphia, PA 19128.

For more information about the program, visit bikeandbuild.org.