Giving is one of my favorite parts about the Challenge Detroit program.  Not only does Challenge Detroit help us find volunteer opportunities, but as I noted, my company, Billhighway, also shares this value.  So I tend to give back to the community quite a bit.  Even beyond that, I regularly volunteer for a wonderful nonprofit organization in Southwest Detroit called Urban Neighborhood Initiatives(UNI).  About two years ago, I was placed at UNI as a summer AmeriCorps Volunteer.  At that time I was tasked with coordinating a small and purely volunteer run bike club.  The overall goal of my time was to take the program and strengthen it, with the possibility of building the program out into a youth run and youth training bike retail shop.  I am extremely excited to say that this long term goal is in the process of coming to fruition. Over the last six months, a team of us wrote out a business plan, created a fundraising campaign, and we hope to lease a property close to the center to open the shop this summer.  It’s been a long but great learning experience and something that I am so lucky to be a part of.

(A collage of the 2011 summer bike club—in summer 2013, Southwest Rides will be open)