Evanston resident Mark Metz has been doing long-distance bicycle tours for over a decade. But his latest ride has a special purpose.
Metz and his wife, Noreen Edwards, set off on 4,100 miles of the TransAmerica Trail in August to raise awareness about the capital campaign to renovate McGaw YMCA Men’s Residence.
The couple is about halfway through their journey — Edwards’ first long distance biking trip — and the McGaw YMCA campaign has reached half of its $22.5 million goal. The two chose the TransAmerica Trail for their awareness campaign because it was the longest, Edwards said.
They proposed the idea for the trip to the team at McGaw YMCA because they wanted to raise awareness about issues related to affordable housing in their community, Metz said. Not many community members — even those that are very involved in the city — know about McGaw YMCA’s residency program, he added.
McGaw YMCA was founded in 1885 and since the beginning, its primary goal was to serve as a place of residence for men, according to McGaw YMCA President and CEO Monique Parsons. The current Men’s Residence building was built in 1930 and has never been notably renovated.
Today, McGaw YMCA is one of the last remaining single room occupancy YMCA facilities in the nation, as other YMCA locations have made the decision to focus on other programs instead. Each branch makes the choice based on the needs of their community, Parsons said.
“Because we have served our community for as long as we have, our goal has always been how do we provide services and strengthen the community that we serve,” Parsons said. “For us, affordable housing has maintained its position as a priority in Evanston.”
McGaw YMCA serves up to 156 men at a time, and the residence currently has a waitlist, Jesse Chatz, the chief of staff and strategy, said. The facility has undergone minor updates, but never any major upgrades, Chatz added.
As Board Chair at McGaw YMCA, Metz has been deeply involved in the capital campaign. Since beginning the bike journey with his wife, he estimated that they have raised about $20,000 for the campaign.
“The awareness part of this is crucial,” Metz said.
Each day, the couple blogs about their journey for those following along. Although Metz was used to journaling prior to the adventure, he said knowing that so many people are watching his and Edwards’ journey adds a bit of extra pressure.
Parsons said she wishes Evanston’s housing situation didn’t warrant the McGaw YMCA residency program. She added that regardless of that, she believes in doing it the “right” way for the men that do need it.
“If we have to continue to do this, which we do, then they should be given a space that is dignified, that is upgraded, that allows them to have a peace of mind as they’re making decisions about their next steps,” Parsons said.
Current residents have been involved in the process since the beginning and have offered feedback on planned upgrades, which will include private shower rooms, food preparation space on each floor and improved lounge spaces. The capital campaign will allow McGaw YMCA to become a more “dignified” and “livable” space, according to Chatz.
Once construction starts, current residents will be moved to a new facility for about a year, Chatz explained. This secondary location has not yet been identified, although there are facilities under consideration, he said. The goal is to start construction in 2026, when the capital campaign will hopefully have reached 80% of its goal, Parsons said.
Metz and Edwards expect to finish their bike journey in November. Not all details of the trip can be planned out ahead of time, Metz said, because they have to adjust their routes based on weather predictions and their energy levels.
The couple typically bikes between six and eight hours a day, Metz said. They have taken a few days and half-days off to rest in towns along the trail and tour national parks like Yellowstone.
Edwards has also kept a record of “bad things” that have happened during the journey, including hours of nonstop rain, high winds and a struggle to body weight due to a lack of nutrition.
Still, Metz and Edwards have loved being immersed in places they wouldn’t have otherwise been, Metz said. And, more importantly, their goal of raising awareness motivates them.
“Affordable housing is a crisis, and it’s not just in Evanston,” Metz said. “It’s a crisis nationwide.”
Email: r.huizenga@dailynorthwestern.com
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