When she made her first trip to build homes in Appalachia, Downers Grove native Laura Sienas had no idea how to use power tools.

Four years and more than 20 trips later, she now knows how to build a roof, side a house and appreciate rural areas, where she has decided she wants to live for part of her life. Having mastered many building basics, Sienas decided to try a new challenge by biking across the country to both work on homes and raise money for affordable housing.

A friend who had been on the Bike and Build last year recommended the program to Sienas.

“I really like working with my hands and seeing the results of my hard labor,” she said. “I enjoy the physical challenge of learning new skills. But I really like talking to the homeowners and hearing stories.”

One man she met had been left wheelchair-bound by polio, but Sienas said he was the most faithful person she had ever met, thanking God for sending her and other volunteers to work on his trailer. Another woman she met was so good at Yahtzee she won every game they played.

Sienas has primarily made trips to West Virginia through St. Joseph Church in Downers Grove and through Loyola University. This is the first time she has done an extensive bike ride, but the program allows riders to move at their own pace in small groups so long as they get to their destination in time to prepare for dinner.

A typical travel day starts at about 5 or 6 a.m. and includes 50 to 100 miles of riding as participants travel from New York to Oregon from May to July. Other days will be spent building homes in Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Colorado and Oregon. Sienas does not know anyone on her trip but said meeting people has been a big part of her enjoyment on other service trips.

“I think I like the people the best, the relationships that I formed,” she said. “Now I can go and feel like they’re all my close friends. The culture there, people take time to get to know you and to hear about your stories as well.”

Bike and Build trip organizers recruit primarily college students interested in traveling to towns  across the country living on mostly donated food and sleeping at churches and schools.

“We come up with a good starting point and any big places we want to visit along the way,” said program director Brendan Newman. “We try to go through college towns. It helps with the recruiting.”

All participants are required to raise at least $4,000 in donations, and Sienas and another friend from Loyola have been working to plan events to help meet their totals. Bike and Build has donated more than $1 million to affordable housing groups and about 20,000 hours of labor during the last five years, Newman said.