Tomorrow morning I will get up, head into Boston and begin my day by hopping on a spin bike – outside – in front of One International Plaza to support the 9^th Annual ICycle event for HomeStart.

Weather reports currently show temperatures in the low 40s paired with wind and rain. But that isn’t stopping the 320 riders and 25 teams who are coming out to ride in order to raise money and awareness for HomeStart. All of us riding know that one hour outside in cold or rainy weather is nothing compared to what the men and women living in homelessness face every day and every night.

HomeStart is a local non-profit organization in Boston that is working incredibly hard to help end homelessness, by first preventing it. They have helped save over 3,000 families and individuals from losing their homes, while offering stabilization services to assist them in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. Of those receiving stabilization services, 96 percent remain housed one year later. Their efforts are not only admiral and heartwarming – they are working.

Every morning that I come to work, I get off the T at Haymarket, and every morning I pass men and women who spent the previous night sleeping in a tucked away corner on the sidewalk. And the number continues to grow. That is why ICycle. And, perhaps this year more than any other year, I see more and more young men and women tucked away in these corners sleeping, or sitting with friends hoping for a small donation to help them get their next meal. That is why ICycle. And, because every day I have the great fortune of going home at the end of my day, and that should not be a luxury, it should be the rule. That is why ICycle.

To learn more about HomeStart and the ICycle event, visit www.homestart.org. For more information about O’Neill and Associates’ public relations services, click here.