Since July 21, Shawn Anderson has ridden his bike more than 200 miles from San Francisco to Reno and his journey has just begun. In hopes of inspiring people across the country, Anderson has begun his “Extra Mile America” campaign, visiting with organizations in the cities he passes through that are “going the extra mile.”

“This is about taking a moment to realize that if you want to make a change in your lives or your community, it starts with you,” Anderson said. “I’m doing this to help show people that if you want more, you need to add value to the lives around you.”

Among the organizations recognized were Northern Nevada HOPES (HIV Outpatient Program, Education and Services), Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and Tune in to Kids.

Anderson described Northern Nevada HOPES as one organization that changes the lives of people involved with it.

“We have about 800 clients, but most of the people we talk to don’t know about us,” said Northern Nevada HOPES special events coordinator Christina Fegert. “We provide free HIV testing, provide transportation, housing and medical treatment for those with HIV or AIDS and have a full service retail pharmacy.”

Fegert said what separates the organization from other nonprofits is that upwards of 95 percent of the money acquired through fundraising and pharmacy sales goes directly to clients, compared to about 70 percent with other groups.

Tune In to Kids was another Reno organization Anderson recognized.

“I was excited when I learned Shawn (Anderson) had chosen us, but I didn’t know a lot about what he was doing,” said Tune In to Kids founder and president Jody Ruggiero. “Once I learned more, I thought it was fabulous because people have so much ability and so much opportunity to do things for their community. It really starts with one person like him doing something.”

Ruggiero began Tune In to Kids 10 years ago after singer Marilyn Manson was set to come to Reno.

“It was around the same time as the Columbine shootings and him coming to Reno really brought to my attention to the amount of violence there is in the media and how what kids watch affects them,” Ruggiero said. “It became a community activist experience. Now, we have a fair in April that around 10,000 attend, which focuses on media literacy and parent involvement.”

Anderson said so far the purpose of his trip has been to publicly thank organizations like the ones in Reno for their contributions to the community.

“We’re hoping that we can really inspire people across the country, but right now, we’re also using this as an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who’s making a difference,” Anderson said.

Anderson chose Reno as one of his stops because he feels it was “hit hard by the economy.”

“As a city that relies on gambling and tourism, I think it’s been really affected by the economy, but I see that there are definitely people who are doing the best they can to still help out those around them,” Anderson said.

This was true for Northern Nevada HOPES, which in spite of severe budget cuts, was able to change their food pantry from being open one day a month to being open one day each week.

“I want to show people that it’s not just about helping out your community, but also looking to the people close to them, like friends and family,” Anderson said.

“Extra Mile America” is scheduled to end in Boston on Oct. 8.