Riding with the Fuller Center to Raise Awareness for Poverty Housing

Hi folks,

In January, 2025, I will be riding my bike with The Fuller Center for Housing again. We will be riding from Clearwater, Florida to Key West. Along the way we will stop to help build or repair homes with Fuller Center projects. More about the event itself is at fullercenterbikeadventure.org.

Many of you know that I have traveled extensively doing mission work in underdeveloped countries, and I believe it is important to serve locally here at home as often as possible. Since I am a Florida resident it is especially meaningful for me to be able to work in communities here.

I hope you will all take time to consider how you can support this effort. Many of you have provided support in so many ways over the years that has helped me serve here and around the world, and that support has been overwhelmingly meaningful. Some of the donations that you have made to Balm Ministries for my mission work will go towards this trip. Your prayers, words of encouragement and financial support are truly appreciated.

The Fuller Center is a 501(c)(3) ecumenical Christian organization that believes everyone in the world deserves the opportunity to have a decent home in which to live. Millard and Linda Fuller were self-made millionaires who gave away their fortune in 1969 to follow God's leading. They lived the rest of their lives on humble means and dedicated themselves to providing decent housing to over a million people in 100 countries around the world, culminating in their founding of the Fuller Center in 2005.

This great organization builds and repairs homes around the world using volunteers, in partnership with families, who help with the work and pay it forward using a no-profit, no-interest loan that gets repaid to help more families.

It works through a grassroots network of volunteer-driven Fuller Centers in 90 U.S. towns and cities and in 20 countries around the world. Work includes community transformation in El Salvador, Armenia and Madagascar to disaster recovery in places like Mayfield, Kentucky and in Haiti to name a few.

The Fuller Center organization has built or repaired over 8,000 homes – enough to house 30,000 people! Learn more about the impact here.

Many people want to know how their donations are used. Rest assured the majority of your donation will be used to directly fund the mission. The Fuller Center is known for maximizing donations by putting as much of the funds towards the work as possible. Their independent audit estimated that 94% of the funds go directly to program expenses, with only 6% to administrative and fundraising costs. This is a MUCH higher percentage to program than most groups given that the industry standard is 65% to program. The organization is also rated GuideStar Platinum, the charity evaluator's highest certification.

During the ride we live very simply, sleeping on the floors of gracious and generous church hosts, resulting in only about 2-3% of the funds raised helping to cover Bike Adventure expenses on the road.

If you are looking for other ways of supporting the mission you are in luck! The rides do need crucial support volunteers and media interns (and often more riders!) if you’re interested in coming along. And your encouragement and your prayers for health, safety, and a great team would be highly appreciated. THANK YOU so much! This is a team event, and it’s not just the riders, are also part of the team!

Your financial support can be made by sending a check, or by clicking the Donate button on this page. For check donations: Make checks payable to “The Fuller Center for Housing” with “bike — rider’s name” in the memo line. Mail to:

Attn: Bike Adventure

The Fuller Center for Housing

PO Box 523

Americus, GA 31709