Just under three years ago, Kelly Wourms and his girlfriend were making 50 sack lunches per week in his kitchen to distribute to people experiencing homelessness in Austin. Now, he works with fellow Austinites to distribute ~450 meals per month — via group bike rides.
Wourms, the founder of Austin Bicycle Meals, learned the concept from a group of cyclists in Koreatown, Los Angeles. When he moved to Austin in 2021 (for that same girlfriend who helped him make sack lunches), he decided to launch the same concept in the Capital City.
“I thought that this idea could work really well in Austin,” he said.
Since those early days, the community has rallied around Wourms’ efforts, with local nonprofits like Our Shared Kitchen and Austin Food Not Bombs providing dozens of meals.
Wourms has also expanded the effort to more than food: Austin Bicycle Meals also distributes feminine hygiene kits, emergency blankets, dog food, and socks, among other items.
“I thought, ‘There’s just so many more things we could be doing, and services that we could offer to people besides just food,’” Wourms said.
How to get involved
Donate to Austin Bicycle Meals online or join one of the regular rides on:
- Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. | Flat Track Coffee
- Every other Wednesday (the next one is March 27) at 5:30 | Eastside Pedal Pushers
Rides can span from a few miles to more than a dozen miles, depending on when the food runs out. By the way, you don’t need a bike. Wourms has seen participants show up by car, scooter, skateboard, and on foot — all you need is something to carry meals in.
Regardless of group size, Wourms said someone from Austin Bicycle Meals makes the run every time.
“I want to continue to serve our neighbors and just let them know that we’re going to be out there,” Wourms said. “Sunshine, rain, snow, whatever. We’re going to be out there because they’re out there.”
