Poverty and homelessness are endemic to the United States of America. Every urban center has a homelessness problem. The poverty rate is nearly in the same place it was in 1970. Poverty and homelessness are social and cultural issues. I live in a culture that does not adequately support individuals who are poor or homeless. There exists political, social, and economic stigma against people in lower classes. This stigma is a hurdle - both in self-compassion and in acceptance by the community. Bicycle tours may be a way to build self-compassion and respect in community while improving fitness, mental health, changing worldview, and traveling. I honestly don't know if this is a good idea, but biking across the country had a significant impact on my life.
Bicycles can be found and fitted by donation. Gear (clipless shoes, bike shorts, jerseys, helmets, gloves, clothingi, panniers) also by donation. Food can likely be found by donation. High quality food is important here. Shelter can possibly be provided by warmshowers hosts (indoors) or we can camp collectively outdoors on a warmshowers property. Showers and laundry can very likely be found via warmshowers. A group of 5-10 could ride together with a leader/mentor trained in non-violent communication Each cyclist journals each day to share their stories. But this is all just theoretical.
I want to keep fleshing this idea out and refining it. There is something about bicycle travel that seems to change the way people think about and experience space and land, and I wonder how a large group of touring cyclists can have an impact on homelessness. It's probably worth attending RAGBRAI (8500 riders) might be educational.
Imagine what growth is like. picture snakes that shed their skin butterflies that emerge from chrysalis trees that accumulate rings growth is our opportunity to teach each layer a footprint that another has already taken and when one gets to the edge they get to take for the first time in their life a first step for humankind. pacing a trail is much quicker than blazing one there is so much opportunity for education that goes unutilized think of all the paths one can take through new york city if only we didn't take the same one to work every day think of all the places our eyes could look from configurations our bodies can rest in frames our minds can think with There is much value in gaining perspective. I have found no way to compare the relative values of perspectives, only that there is always value in gaining another one. Learning what it is like to live with privilege to live in poverty to live in family to live in dysfunction to live on the street to live in a community to live in solitude to live in the greatest wealth to live in silence to live in vain to live in fear to live in ambition to live in competition to live in cooperation the list will and can go one, but the perspectives are more vast than emotion what is it like to know everything you touch how long would it take to learn how everything we interact with is made? to know where it comes from and to produce it ourselves perhaps impractical but deeply educational what is it like to be given something and from that learn to make that same thing to gift to another a pay-it-forward economy, rather than an exchange economy. there is no unfair trade here. everything exchanged for another instance of itself. what is it like to know the land you live on to see that you are not confined to your home or your family or your community or your block or your neighborhood or your town your city your state your country but the possibiilty of you carrying yourself across this globe is so far from nil and as you travel you may float on top of lands you never knew people you never met to find loving generosity in every corner of the earth this is my dream to give people this sense of belonging no matter where they go the earth with hold them no matter what their needs, the people will support them that with no expectations, every experience is a gift and there are many gifts to be found in this life. so come and take a ride somewhere further than you've ever been you will not regret it.