Meals on 2 Wheels, an Innovative Grocery Delivery System
We’re launching a new program called Meals on 2 Wheels on Tuesday, June 2 at 10:00 A.M at the bike center located at 354 Coyier Lane, Madison, WI 53713. By using e-cargo bikes to deliver groceries from food pantries, this innovative food access program will serve individuals facing the most significant transportation and mobility barriers, nearly emission free.
Celebrate the Meals on 2 Wheels Rollout with Us!
WHEN: Tuesday, June 2nd at 10am-10:45am
WHERE: Bikes for Kids Wisconsin at 354 Coyier Lane, Madison
WHAT: All are welcome to help us celebrate this new food delivery program as we embark on the first day of deliveries.
This fall, an innovative collaboration has been taking place as Bikes for Kids Wisconsin piloted its new Meals on 2 Wheels initiative, featuring grocery delivery on bicycles from area food pantries to their homebound constituents. The River Food Pantry was the collaborative partner for the pilot program, tested with volunteer rider Pepe Barros. With his cargo bike and trailer loaded with 160 pounds of fresh and frozen food, his test deliveries proved to be more easily done than by car due to the nimble nature of bikes and lower cost. A robust fundraising campaign is underway to raise $100,000 between November and April to launch the program on June 2nd, 2026 as our Bike Week celebration event. Supporters, volunteers, media and others will be invited to join us at The River Food Pantry on June 2nd at 10am for the rollout of Meals on 2 Wheels. Meals on 2 Wheels will operate June through October 2026. We are currently recruiting for 10-20 volunteer Delivery Riders! Please email us if interested in more information.
The fleet of volunteer Delivery Riders on e-cargo bikes equipped with trailers, will deliver 160–320 pounds of groceries Tuesdays through Fridays, efficiently, sustainably, and with compassion.
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,” said Rhonda Adams, Executive Director of The River Food Pantry. “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.”
At its core, Meals on 2 Wheels is about more than delivering groceries, it’s about building healthier and more connected communities. Our riders will pedal with a purpose, uniting their love of cycling with a mission to ensure no one in our community goes hungry. This program nourishes both the people receiving food and the volunteers delivering it, creating a ripple effect of wellness, dignity, and shared humanity.
Pepe Barros stated, “Using bicycles for the last mile delivery makes great sense. It’s more efficient, more sustainable, more flexible, eliminates the need for gasoline, no need for parking and we can unload the items right by the door. I can see this program growing to other levels of the supply chain and making a significant impact in our community.”
Bikes for Kids Wisconsin works in transportation equity and understands deeply how important transportation is in our daily lives and, without it, participating fully in society is a full time struggle. On a daily basis, the organization experiences how people most in need in our communities are often left out the most due to the transportation barriers they face. The organization has a volunteer workforce of 240 people giving back and investing in our community through their efforts. “I was in a conversation with community leaders about food accessibility this past Labor Day. That’s when I had this aha moment—we can provide the delivery mechanism with our robust network of volunteers who love to bike and love to give back, plus we have the bikes and the ability to maintain them. Our city is ideal for this innovative system of food delivery. The pieces fell into place rather quickly as well as our partnership with The River Food Pantry. We serve the same demographics in our nonprofits so it’s an ideal collaboration,” said Kristie GoForth, Executive Director of Bikes for Kids Wisconsin.
Infrastructure sponsors of $10,000 run for three years!
Bikes for Kids will hire a program administrator, 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. E-cargo bikes with utility trailers can easily carry 320 pounds of food. E-bikes with modified covered trailers can carry up to 120 pounds of food. Modifying pull behind, covered trailers by reinforcing them to withstand up to 160 pounds will be one approach.
Their vision is to purchase four e-cargo bikes with utility trailers to maximize efficiency and streamline the system so volunteers who don’t own e-bikes can also contribute. Other requirements to launch the program include purchasing software, developing a maintenance fund for the bicycles, and volunteer appreciation events and retention efforts.
