10 years of two-wheeled service, one burrito at a time
DES MOINES, Iowa — What began as one man's epiphany has become one of the most visible homeless-advocacy groups in the Des Moines metro, and this weekend, the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry turns ten years old.
'Ten years ago,' explains Robby Collier, a UBFM volunteer, '(founder) Joe Laslo was recovering from a serious bike accident when his pastor gave a sermon about the homeless. It hit him right then that he should act.'
Collier says when Laslo was healthy enough, he used his bike as a way to reach the homeless on the streets of Des Moines.
A look inside Des Moines' homelessness crisis
'The first day he set out with 20 burritos and 20 bottles of water. He handed them all out.'
Tonight, the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry — which sprang from Laslo's efforts — handed out 800 burritos, along with over 800 sandwiches, bottles of water, blankets, warm clothing and sleeping pads to homeless and food insecure Iowans in Des Moines.
Over 40 volunteers work together every week and say the connections they make with the people they serve are some of the most important in their lives.
'I can talk about it on the TV, I can talk to you one-on-one,' Collier says, 'but once you've seen it and you've actually gone out and built that relationship with a hug, with a kind word, with a burrito — it really fills your heart.'
On Saturday (March 8th) the Ministry will celebrate ten years of service with a party at Twisted Vine Brewery in the East Village. The public is welcome to attend.
Metro News:
10 years of two-wheeled service, one burrito at a time
A look inside Des Moines' homelessness crisis
Tiny Homes possible solution to Des Moines' homelessness crisis; what are they?
Roosevelt High School holds Rider Pride Night to fundraise for Best Buddies, Special Olympics programs
2 charged after dozens of animals found in 'poor conditions' at Des Moines motel
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Exciting discovery brings historic Iowa 'birthing hospital' back to life, learn more during upcoming event
MARSHALL COUNTY, Iowa – Marshall County's 'Wohlert House,' which was once staffed by midwives, will be the focus of an upcoming event hosted by the Historical Society of Marshall County (HSMC). The residential property in State Center was built in 1909 and was once a 'birthing hospital' before automobiles and highway travel became dependable. 'It was home to an early women's business,' said Catherine Noble in a news release. 'Emma Wohlert, a widow, had established and operated it as a 'baby hospital.'' On Tuesday, June 10, Noble, who has remodeled the property and was able to secure its selection for the National Register of Historic Places, will present a program on the property's unique history. After two years of researching the Louis F. and Emma M. (Edler) Wohlert House-Emma Wohlert Maternity Home, it was learned that Emma's granddaughter still lived in the area. Nancy Davis, of West Des Moines, was able to provide family photographs and an original diary that had records of more than 400 births between the years of 1923 and 1945. The diary entries are now accessible on the State Library of Iowa's Archives, listed as the 'Wolert House.' The presentation will be held at 6:30 the Mowry-Irvine Mansion at 503 West Main Street in Marshalltown. It is free of charge and open to the public. The Second-Tuesday series is part of an 'ongoing effort by HSMC to educate central Iowans about the significant contributions made by Marshall County residents and events which have shaped the county,' stated a news release. The HSMC was established by a group of women in 1908. It is a certified 501(c)3 not-for-profit group whose income is derived exclusively from memberships, a small endowment, and fundraising activities. For more information, contact HSMC at 641-752-6664 or info@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
The race to find a thief: Berlin police investigating after Torch Run signs were stolen
BERLIN, Conn. (WTNH) — Anticipation and excitement surround the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics each year in Berlin. Year after year, students line the route in front of their school to cheer on the officers. Annual Special Olympics Torch Run begins in Connecticut This year, there was also disappointment. The signs, which usually line Veterans Way, were stolen sometime between Monday when they were placed there, and Wednesday, when Mark DePinto, the officer who organizes Berlin's leg of the run, realized they were gone. 'He works very hard for this to come out perfect and that was like a setback to him,' Carmen DePinto, Mark's wife, said. It was too late to replace the signs before Thursday's torch run. The signs show the businesses and organizations which support the torch run and the Special Olympics. DePinto's daughter Christine is one of the athletes. On the day of the race, she rides in the truck which leads the police officers through town. 'She gets excited to be part of it every year,' DePinto said. 'She gets so excited she don't even want to go to her job.' 'It's just… it's hard to understand why somebody would pull those signs out and take them for a cause as good as the Special Olympics,' Berlin Deputy Police Chief Drew Gallupe said. Berlin police have launched a full investigation and say whoever is responsible will face larceny charges. 'We're reviewing video from surrounding businesses and we would ask anyone that has information or saw someone taking the signs or knows who took them if they would call us at the Berlin Police Department,' Gallupe said. Berlin police say there were about a half a dozen signs stolen from Veterans Way and because of that, those businesses and organizations didn't get the recognition they deserve for supporting this worthy cause. One of them was a local fire department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
24 hours of fundraising, vital for local nonprofits
LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Get ready to give back! NEPA Gives, the region's largest 24-hour online fundraising event, kicks off Thursday night. 28/22 News Reporter Kathryn O'Leary shows us how it all works and why this event is making a big difference across our community. If you've ever wanted to give back to the community but didn't know where to start, the NEPA Gives event is the time to do it. It's a 24-hour online giving event starting Thursday night at 7:00 p.m., and it's shaping up to be bigger than ever. Whether it's mental health, education, animal shelters, or the arts, NEPA Gives brings more than 250 local nonprofits into one place for one purpose: giving back. 'This is our sixth year, so in a five-year time span, we've raised over $4,000,000, which is amazing. So this is really great money that goes right back into the community, stays local, and helps a lot of these nonprofits do the great work that they're doing,' Brittany Pagnotti, Director of Donor Relations and Communications, Scranton Area Community Foundation, explained. For donors, it's easy; Just head to NEPA Gives, browse by cause or organization, and your donation gets a boost thanks to matching dollars and bonus prizes from community sponsors. Rain Rally raises money for Special Olympics 'It's great to have an event like this, because, first of all, being a part of the community is number one, and it helps us not only raise additional funds for our organization, but it helps us reach a broader audience and get the organization in front of new donors as well,' stated Art Levandowski, Coordinator of Marketing and Development, Jewish Family Service. Jewish Family Service is one of dozens of organizations hoping to benefit. They say this event is a vital funding source. 'It's just another point of revenue, revenue source for the organization to allow us to do more work within the community with the extra funds that we get from an event like this. It's just a fun, exciting day for the organization, for our organization, and for our staff,' expressed Levandowski. To close it all out, there's a block party Friday at 5:00 p.m. on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton with food trucks, live music, and the nonprofits themselves. 'I'm just looking forward to all, the whole community, coming together. It's great energy to see everybody coming together to make a difference right here in northeastern Pennsylvania,' Pagnotti added. So again, it all starts Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and runs until Friday at 7:00 p.m. For 24 hours, it's your chance to give where you live. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
