CYCLING FOR HUMANITY
Hundreds of people ride their bicycles throughout Santa Clara County in Habitat for Humanity’s inaugural Cycle of Hope fundraiser
PALO ALTO >> On most days, Habitat for Humanity is known for helping needy families build the home of their dreams. But Saturday, the nonprofit took its homebuilding mission to the streets, as hundreds of employees, volunteers, homeowners and supporters hopped on bikes for the organization’s inaugural “Cycle of Hope” ride.
The charity event, which will help fund several programs at Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, started at Hewlett Packard early Saturday and included five routes through Santa Clara County, from a kids’ course to a 100-mile trek to south San Jose.
Executives hope to grow the event into a large-scale local bike ride. But they also want it to serve a much larger purpose: to raise awareness about the Bay Area’s massive housing crisis and the damage it’s done to struggling families who are slowly being priced out of the area.
The ride was very personal for volunteer Michelle Zell, of San Jose, who participated with a group of 25 fellow employees from Bosch. Zell, who grew up in Mountain View, said she’s witnessed neighbors and family members move out of the area through the years, unable to keep up with the climbing rents. She worries for her 20-year-old daughter, a student at UC Santa Cruz, who likely won’t be able to afford a place to live once she
graduates, she said.
“It’s gotten worse and worse,” Zell said. “Part of it is good news because it means we have job creation and people are coming into our area to really make the world a better place through tech. But as more people are coming in ... it’s kind of pushed out the people who had already been here.”
Riders paid a registration fee to participate
Saturday, though many also did additional fundraising amongst family and friends. Some corporate groups and faith communities recruited teams to participate, according to Habitat spokeswoman Patti Wang Cross.
About 200 riders took off at 9 a.m. for the event’s 32-mile “moderate” ride, which
From left, Lourdes Beltran performs Jarocho music, with her husband Jorge Beltran and Artemio Posadas, during the Habitat for Humanity Cycle of Hope benefit bike ride. took them through Los Altos, Cupertino and Saratoga. Among them was 48-year-old Steve Hays, who purchased a four-bedroom home in Morgan Hill in 2011 through Habitat for Humanity. The home was a saving grace for Hays, his wife, Elaine, and their five children, who had been living in a “substandard” twobedroom apartment in a gang-infested apartment complex.
“It gives us a sense of community,” he said of the home, which was part of a six-unit building project in Morgan Hill. “We’re able to settle down and have roots and get to know the neighbors
that we have.”
Hays, who works in sales in the bicycle industry and rides his bike to work, said the family tries to show up for any local Habitat building projects or events.
“When I saw this come up I said, ‘I’m in,’” Hays said.
Bands played at each water station throughout the course Saturday. At a stop at Marich Way and Solana Court in Mountain View stood Lourdes and Jorge Beltran and their son, Clemente, were playing traditional Mexican string music.
The family received a home in Santa Clara through Habitat in 2009, which plucked them out of a two-bedroom apartment in a dangerous neighborhood on Main Street.
“We were really happy,” said Lourdes Beltran, 53. “There was no way we could buy a house in this area with the prices. For us, it was a miracle that we got selected.”
“We knew we were going to be able to get out of there and give (our kids) a better opportunity to succeed, to be in a better neighborhood, in a better place where they can develop,” she said.
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley covers Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. It focuses on helping low-income residents with home ownership, home preservation and financial counseling.