Bikes for Kids Wisconsin piloted its new Meals on 2 Wheels initiative this fall, delivering food via bicycle from area food pantries to homebound constituents.
The nonprofit teamed with the River Food Pantry as its pilot partner, testing the initiative with volunteer Pepe Barros’s cargo bike and trailer capable of holding 160 pounds of fresh and frozen food.
Bikes for Kids Wisconsin determined that Barros’s deliveries were done more easily and cost-effectively than with a motor vehicle.
A fundraising campaign is underway to raise $120,000 between November and February to officially launch the program in April 2026. A fleet of volunteer riders will be recruited for the program.
Meals on 2 Wheels will operate April through October 2026.
Volunteer riders will deliver 160-320 pounds of groceries on weekdays via e-bikes or e-cargo bikes fitted with trailers.
Bikes for Kids plans to eventually expand to an additional pantry, dependent upon fundraising success.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Bikes for Kids Wisconsin on this exciting new opportunity to give bikers a chance to do what they love while helping our neighbors in need put food on the table,” Rhonda Adams, executive director of the River Food Pantry, said in a statement. “This collaborative initiative gives cyclists a meaningful way to combine their passion with purpose — helping to ensure that local households without transportation don’t go hungry as the need continues to rise in Dane County.”
Bikes for Kids will hire a program administrator and recruit up to 100 volunteer riders with e-bikes and e-cargo bikes. Each volunteer rider will log 12 to 15 miles, delivering groceries to a minimum of two and up to eight households, depending upon the individual vehicle setup.
