Just when I thought it couldn't get any colder, I crossed over the North Dakota border. Not that I was surprised, I simply consider myself an optimist and therefore naive.

North Dakota is unfortunately one of the least visited states in the Union. I had a few of the fine citizens inform me that it is the least traveled. (Not sure if they were saying that as a mark of honor.) I know people are always complaining that it is too cold or too hot or too boring to drive through or the people are too friendly, or the bison are in the middle of the road, or {fill in the blank}. I just don't buy it.

Wonderful people like Theodore Roosevelt had this to say about the state: “I grow very fond of this place, and it certainly has a desolate, grim beauty of its own, that has a curious fascination for me.” I can only echo those words and say they are true for my experience as well, but I also add to them in regards to the large-hearted people scattered everywhere across the territory.

After driving the four hundred mile plus miles from Billings to Bismarck, I settled into the city. I had a mix up in the housing department which left me without shelter for the evening. (Must I remind you that the temperatures never made it above zero the entire time I was in the state. That first night, the forecast called for negative twenty five (without wind chill). Let me just cut to the chase to tell you I spent the night in the Best Western, not because I chose to, or paid to stay there, but a stranger I helped at a quarter to two in the morning, put me up for the night. (Click here for the full story.) I spent the next few nights in the capital city staying on an available mattress someone from courchsurfing.org (Benjamin and crew) just happened to have laying around. (Thanks guys! Nice to glean an understanding of your world. Best of winds and safe travels in your own adventures.)

I braved the cold and went in search of people to help. I came to a very quick conclusion that people in the frozen tundra don't go outside when it hits these sub-human temps. I checked with some great organizations, but because of the weather, the opportunities to serve just weren't there. When this happens, I usually get a little worried that I won't meet my goals...oh me of little faith...

I stepped into the offices of the United Way of the Missouri Slope to find the same answer to my question: is there anywhere I can serve? They were fully staffed but took me down the hall to the RSVP+ office which shared the building. Success!

My instructions were to head over to help the Mental Health America of North Dakota follow up with phone calls to see if people got their invitation to the annual Celebration of Lights. I took to the phones in a furry and finished the five page list in a matter of hours. MHAofND hosts a variety of programs aimed to help people with and people who are around those with mental health issues. It was a privilege to work along side them.

While working with MHAofND, I got a call from the United Way informing me that they needed my help the following day to hang up banners on the downtown parking ramps. I jumped on the offer to serve. We spent the morning picking up the signs, getting the fastening chords, and swapping gloves while the cold nipped away at our hands. The signs made it up and the message was clear: “99% of your donation stays in your local community!” I was treated to lunch and then to an interview by CBS12 out of Bismarck. (Click here to watch the interview.)

I also got involved with the Central Dakota Humane Society walking dogs. It's easy to forget about these cuddly creatures when it's so cold outside, but they still need to be taken care of. I can honestly say that the coldest I've ever been was there walking a dozen dogs in negative seventeen degrees (thirty-five below with wind). Those dogs were so adorable and in need of a good, long-legged walk, I came back a second time, right before traveling another two hundred to Fargo.

I left for Fargo knowing I had a nice warm place to stay, thanks to my second cousin Noel and his wonderful family, whom I hadn't seen for over eight years. I pulled into town...got lost...got found...got lost again...and then finally parked outside my destination. One of the perks to doing a journey like this is catching up with a lot of people you don't see on a normal basis. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my cousins and am overly appreciative of them letting me stay even though I was there during a scheduled slumber party and an unscheduled sickness going through the family.

Fargo brought with it a host of great places to volunteer! I was connected with the RSVP+ office in Fargo and was connected with two organizations. The first was the Great Plains Food Bank and the second was the Fargo/Moorhead Community Bike Workshop.

The Great Plains Food Bank touches the lives of more than 52,000 children, seniors and working families each year who struggle with, or are at risk of hunger. Each year over 5 million pounds of surplus food is donated by local, regional and national food industry partners... [which] is then distributed to people in need through... [their] statewide network of 230 member food shelves, emergency shelters, soup kitchens and other charitable feeding program in 80 communities.” Turns out that the GPFB is the only food bank in the state which means they oversee a lot of food!

I have a few different tasks to work on over the course of my time there: cutting forms, creating manuals, putting together food boxes, and stacking pallets. I spent most of my time tackling the giant bins of food brought in from a local school drive and ordering a variety of those items into manageable boxes which would then be loaded onto trucks and shipped to the counties around the state. Many people would look at that job as boring, I thought the complete opposite! I imagined the people these boxes would get handed to and the relief on their faces when they were offered a way for them to make ends meet. There's so much more that goes into those boxes then just food. They bring comfort and hope to people who really need help.

I can't pass up the opportunity to thank the kind folks at Great Plains for taking me out to lunch and for helping me get connected with the local media. (Click here to watch the interview.) They really were a fun crew to get to know and was made even better by their delightful Scandinavian accents. Also, they blew me out of the water by sending me away with all kinds of gifts and a lot of kind words. I've told them to keep a truck driving job available for me when the whole adventure ends.

On Thursday night, I had the opportunity to check out something that made me super curious when I was initially told about it. That being the F/M Community Bike Workshop in downtown Fargo. I got down-and-dirty stripping old bikes of their usable parts and even messier putting a bike back together (thanks to the peddle grease). The purpose of the FMCBW is to be “a community-run learning space, committed to the reclamation and distribution of recycled bicycles by providing tools, education and an inclusive space for all members of our diverse community.” In a nutshell, they try to get bikes out to people who need transportation.

It was great to hear that they have been helping many people in the community, but it's not just by giving the bikes away. The individual commits to volunteering at the workshop for at least seven hours and learns how to take care of bike and is invited back anytime to keep it well maintained.

I really think the community bike workshop idea is a great one. Google “community bike workshop” plus your city's name to get connected with an organization like this one near you. And even though I was reminded that I really have no idea what I'm doing mechanically, I was brought to cheer knowing there are places for everyone to get involved with.

After saying goodbye to all the fine people I met in North Dakota, I hopped over the Red River into Minnesota. (Don'tcha know.)