About

(Well) Over 30,000 Burritos Served…

While on the surface it might seem that the Burrito Riders’ primary task is providing hot, hearty breakfast burritos to communities in need, we actually work to go beyond the burrito. In fact, the burrito is only the excuse we use to meet people… Our truer goal is to connect with the people that we serve, and to show them, through a building of relationships, that they are valued and respected. We hope to have an opportunity to show them God’s love, in a world that sometimes seems unjust, through our actions. Our burritos, while delicious, are merely a key to the hearts, through the stomachs, of the folks we serve in the hope that we can begin to understand how to assist the individuals at the ground level. Our organization’s roots are in mercy ministry, providing a small measure of relief with a huge measure of love to those in need in our communities. As we speak, we are working on projects that, we hope, will enable us to bridge some of the gap that exists between being a mercy-based ministry and a justice-based ministry. As we grow, we will be looking for ways to serve through our communities, “beyond the burrito.” But the burrito will always be a big part of who we are and what we provide. The burritos got us this far, and they’ll continue to take us much further.

We are asked occasionally how we came up with the idea for this project.

kis·met

Destiny; fate.

     Since participating in the planting of Revolution Church, in Louisville Kentucky, a church built on teaching and serving, our family has been encouraged to make the world a better place, to “bring the kingdom” as folks like to say, through service. For perhaps the first time in my life, I realized that it’s not about what I can get out of the world, but what I can put into it that matters most. What I struggled with was, how to serve? Where to serve? What could I do that would inspire me to keep doing it? I desired something interesting and unique, that utilized my interests and passions (among them, cycling).

     While on vacation, my wife came across a magazine on a stack of magazines (kismet). As she flipped through it, she came across an article about a group down in Charlotte who were serving the homeless in their community in a novel way. She brought me that article about the Burrito Bikers and I was hooked on the idea. On March 17th 0f 2012 we rode for the first time, with a whopping 10 burritos made by Chad and Whitney Perry! We were eager to see if this idea had wheels and it took us every bit of three hours to give them away! Now, 15 months later, we have given out nearly 8000 hot breakfast burritos in two states, and we usually go through about 200 in 60-90 minutes when we ride out. Now, about 8 YEARS later, we’ve given out well over 30,000 burritos. It’s amazing to be so blessed that we are able to serve this way.

     We couldn’t do it without the love and support of those who have made it possible through their volunteer efforts and their donations. If you would like to join us, it’s as easy as saying hello! For those who can’t ride with us, or roll with us, there is always the joy of donating. The monetary donations that we receive are used to spread the joy in our community. With it we are able to provide service opportunities for people who would love to help, but maybe can’t afford to buy the supplies themselves. Donations enable us to provide the supplies, and they provide the heart and craftsmanship.

You can check out some of our media activity since we began!

We also had a great article in Tri-State Living, but they don’t have an online edition.

Huntington Quarterly – http://digital.huntingtonquarterly.com/i/336611/40

Huntington’s Herald Dispatch – http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x780155107/HHS-grad-brings-bike-fixing-mission-to-city

Louisville NPR affiliate WFPL – http://wfpl.org/post/louisvilles-burrito-riders-deliver-hundreds-breakfasts-and-more-homeless

Huntington’s Herald Dispatch – http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features/x1272701913/Bicycling-group-delivers-burritos-to-Huntingtons-homeless-and-hungry

Marshall University’s Parthenon – http://www.marshallparthenon.com/burrito-riders-to-start-servicing-huntington-1.2815465#.UcpYxZXT20I

Marshall University’s Parthenon – http://www.marshallparthenon.com/burrito-riders-lend-a-hand-to-the-needy-1.2834535#.Usduu5V920I

Louisville Family Fun blog – http://www.louisvillefamilyfun.net/2013/09/the-burrito-riders-fabulous-choice-for.html

Louisville’s Today’s Family Magazine – http://www.todaysfamilynow.com/2014/03/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-burrito.html?showComment=1395953669628#.UzY-X5X-a0I

Additional interesting links to learn about the Burrito Bikers who inspired us:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/08/2511971/burrito-bikers-wrap-eggs-with.html

http://vimeo.com/m/24668378