D.C. Lucchesi
To hear Tommy Holderness tell it, Charlotte’s Burrito Bikers just kind of happened. An idea plucked from a bike magazine five years ago has turned into a regular Sunday service, if you will, providing a portable hot breakfast to the homeless in uptown Charlotte, and since then stories have spawned start-ups in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Winston-Salem – even Louisville, Ky.
“It’s pretty cool the way it’s grown,” says Holderness, a Charlotte attorney and cyclist. What started with him and his neighbor John Oxrider is now a network of friends, fellow cyclists, and churches who take turns making breakfast burritos, wrapping, reheating, and then delivering them on Sunday mornings. Rain or shine, wet, hot, or cold, the Burrito Bikers make the rounds. The impact they have on their clientele is obvious, with the choruses of “thank you” and “God bless you.” In a matter of minutes, the bikers are left with empty packs, but not without also being affected by the interaction.
“You get down there and meet these people, your perception changes,” says Holderness.
Jon Harding is a first-time rider with the Burrito Bikers. His homemade granola bars were a hit with the crowd. Sunday’s ride allowed him to roll his love for bikes and serving others into one experience. “It was a great opportunity, and a blast doing it on two wheels,” says Harding.
The willingness of others to serve in some way means Holderness, Oxrider, and other regulars aren’t on the hook to cook, pack, and ride each and every Sunday. A scheduled rotation of volunteers ensures there’s a backpack of burritos every week. The bikers bring along extra snacks and drinks, since the group that waits for them along Tryon Street will exhaust the burrito supply in a matter of minutes.
A list of standby riders can cover any shortfall in personnel, as was the case on a most recent Sunday when I had the chance to ride with the Burrito Bikers. I’d been turned down before, apparently failing to respond quickly enough to an all-call for last-minute volunteers. Not this time. And I would bring along a pannier of PB and J’s.
Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte looks decidedly different on early Sunday mornings, the bustle of the workweek crowd giving way to the slower pace of those with nowhere else to go or be. Burritos, bottled water, snacks, and, yes, PB and J’s all quickly moved from backpacks and panniers to waiting hands. The Burrito Bikers’ destination is a solemn and stark contrast to its starting point just a few miles away along one of Charlotte’s most affluent streets. Here, where most neighbors could seemingly cover the costs of a fleet of Burrito Bikers, this group does more than provide a hot breakfast once a week. It’s coming face to face with homelessness and showing that people care enough to do more than write a check. And as long as the story of the Burrito Bikers continues to spread, perhaps it will inspire others to make such meaningful gestures in their hometown.
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D.C. Lucchesi runs, rides, and writes from Charlotte. When D.C. isn’t planning or participating in his own “next adventure,” the award-winning writer and former television producer can be found freelancing and waxing poetic on subjects ranging from health and endurance to schools and politics. When he’s not volunteering or coaching in some capacity with school-aged kids, he still enjoys interacting with grown-ups. Find him at dclucchesi@gmail.com.
