AUSTINTOWN – A group of 30 young adults who are traveling by bicycle from Providence, Rhode Island, to Seattle made a stop this week in the Mahoning Valley to help work on an Austintown home being rehabilitated by Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley.

Colin Penney, program director for Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley, said the group, ages 18 to 26, are with Bike and Build, a non-profit organization that encourages and empowers young people to do service in their communities, particularly with affordable housing.

He said for 12 years the group has traveled across the country working on homes, with this group having 13 planned “build day” stops on their cross-country journey.

On Monday, they helped a family with rehabilitation of a home at 4271 Lake Road that included dry walling, insulating and yard work.

”They are a great group of workers,” Penney said, noting the group worked inside and outside the home.

The group arrived Sunday afternoon and are staying at St. John Episcopal Church in Youngstown and using showers at the Jewish Community Center and Youngstown State University. They were planning to leave today.

Carlee Schmidt of Phoenix, Ariz., a member of Bike and Build, said each rider raised $4,500 to participate, with 40 percent of those funds covering expenses on the trip and about 50 percent going into a grant program to help Habitat and other organizations with its projects.

”We have worked with this Habitat for Humanity for years. Colin was part of a Bike and Build ride in 2011. This particular bike trip has been around since 2006,” she said.

The Austintown site was the third build location, with the next this week in Columbus.

Schmidt said the group does whatever the organization needs help with, such as painting, roofing and insulation work.

”We tore down a chimney and also put in insulation,” she said of the 1 1/2- story 1,700-square-foot home .

The riders are from across the nation and also from China and Ireland.

Anna Dudley of Pendelton, Ind., said this is the last summer she would be able to do this because she plans to attend graduate school and get a job.

”I like bicycling and community service, so this was a perfect mix for me,” she said.

Conor Barrett of Dublin, Ireland, said he looked at the experience as a great way to see the United States.

”It is may not be the typical way to see the country,” said Barrett, who said he is passionate about bicycling.

Nate Wright of Bethlehem, Pa., who completed his master’s degree at University of Kentucky, said the Bike and Build is a way to give back to the community.

Tamesha Elliott, the homeowner, was handing out bottled water to the workers. She said she is appreciative of the work since it will help to get the home completed by Thanksgiving.

”This has been a very humbling experience. I’m excited about all the work that has been done. You can see the progress that has been made,” Elliott said.

In the past 13 years, Bike and Build has donated more than $5.1 million, built more than 185,000 homes and pedaled 8.5 million miles.

Penney said in 2015, Habitat Mahoning Valley received an $8,000 grant from Bike and Build to help increase opportunities for teens and young adults on housing projects.

Penney said over a year ago, the Trumbull Habitat for Humanity affiliate ended and the Mahoning group took over those properties.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com