These bike-riding burrito slingers are some of Des Moines’ most trusted aid workers

They’re affectionately called “the burrito people.” Or sometimes “the burrito slingers.” They’re easily recognizable by their bright yellow bicycle jerseys, T-shirts and welcoming smiles.

Every Thursday evening, you can find them in the basement of the Capitol Hill Lutheran Church in the Des Moines East Village neighborhood. They’re volunteers for the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry (UBFM), and their mission is simple: they make food, and they give it away. That’s it. 

Year-round, 40 to 50 of these volunteers gather at the church to prepare upwards of 900 square (not rolled) burritos, wrapped in foil; over 400 turkey and cheese sandwiches; and more than 450 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They organize fresh fruit, such as bananas and oranges, bags of cookies and cases of bottled water.

Alongside the food, they load vehicles with tents, blankets, socks, coats, batteries, flashlights, bug spray, first aid items and more. The prep work runs like a well-oiled machine with everyone working quickly in the kitchen and at tables around the parish hall. Within 45 minutes, they’re ready to start delivering on bicycles and in vehicles to unhoused and food insecure people around the Des Moines metro.

They’re community-based and non-denominational. Anyone is welcome to volunteer, whether it’s food prep, bike delivery or vehicle support. They don’t preach, proselytize or try to convert. They consider their work “radical hospitality” — building relationships with unhoused individuals in the Des Moines area who are often overlooked and marginalized, otherwise known as UBFM friends.

Last March, UBFM celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its humble beginning. In 2015, an avid cyclist named Joe Laslo suffered a serious bicycle accident. While recuperating, his church pastor gave a sermon about the homeless, and Laslo was inspired to act. Once well enough, he got back on his bike and delivered 20 burritos and bottles of water to unhoused individuals on the streets of Des Moines, planting the seeds of what would grow to become UBFM. 

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit operates with zero administrative costs. Volunteers prepare an average of $1,600 worth of donated food and supplies each week. Many are avid bicyclists, others are casual riders and some don’t ride bikes at all. Only a handful are actual members of Capitol Hill Lutheran Church. The rest are just community members interested in the volunteer opportunity. They range in age (though bike riders must be 16 or older), background and neighborhood, hailing from around Des Moines and the surrounding suburbs.

Food preparation and packing starts in the parish hall at 4:45 p.m., and “Chief Burrito Slinger” Robby Collier organizes the members into eight established, color-coded routes led by experienced leaders. Five routes are carried out on bikes, three in vehicles. (During winter months, all routes are in vehicles). Some bike riders fill and carry backpacks, others load pull-behind carts and burleys. 

At 6 p.m. sharp, the volunteers gather for announcements, prayer and “stories from the streets.” One of these stories told of a longtime UBFM friend who recently got a job cleaning state buildings, and now has an apartment to call home. At 6:15 p.m., meal delivery teams depart for their assigned routes in groups of four or more, and return to the church by 8:30 p.m. The largest route — the yellow route near the Des Moines River boat ramp — serves between 150 and 180 friends, and this summer alone UBFM has served upwards of 600 friends a week.

But the most meaningful work happens during the delivery routes themselves. As Collier explained, volunteers follow their HANDS guideline:

Ask each person: “Have you had supper tonight?”

Approach people from the front and introduce yourself.

No money, no pictures. 

Demonstrate “radical hospitality” with grace, love, respect and hope, one burrito at a time. 

Practice Safety: stay on designated routes, and work in groups of at least four people.

It appears the HANDS philosophy has paid off. Volunteers have never reported a safety issue (beyond an occasional flat bike tire), tend to know their friends by name, and often have friends waiting for them at drop-off locations. One first-time volunteer told Little Village she was attracted by UBFM’s simple mission statement and the opportunity for personal interactions and connections. 

A snapshot of homelessness in Iowa provided by a 2023 Point-in-Time Report from the Institute for Community Alliances indicated over 2,300 Iowans were experiencing homelessness on a specific night in January, including both sheltered and unsheltered individuals. Of that number, approximately 27 percent of Iowa’s homeless population — over 600 people — resided in Polk County. Since 2023, UBFM has seen those numbers increase.

In a 2024 Iowa PBS special report on the UBFM, one volunteer shared he was unhoused himself a few years ago. He described his experience surviving on the streets as “harrowing,” and said he felt unseen and alone despite having neighbors in the same circumstances. Interactions with UBFM friends during that time inspired him to later give back through the organization once he was in stable housing. 

“Patience and compassion,” he said, “aren’t something many people have for the homeless.” 

In the same PBS report, a UBFM unhoused friend said of the volunteers, “They’re not afraid to accidentally be touched by you … Some of the people that bring food and say that they’re here to help you … they’re still scared to catch your contagious homelessness or something.” 

“If I’m in trouble,” he continued, “if I have an issue, am I going to run to the police first, or the burrito people? If I have a chance, I’m going to talk to the burrito people first. Because I have a better chance of getting help that way.”

On a recent Thursday night, UBFM volunteers dismounted their bicycles and exited their vehicles. They began calling out, “Burritos! Burritos!” into the wooded areas behind buildings, along the Des Moines River and near railroad tracks. Within a few minutes, people emerged from tents, culverts and tree lines, and the volunteers happily greeted them by name, with smiles, handshakes and hugs.

“Have you had dinner tonight?”

“Would you like a burrito or a sandwich?”

“How’s your foot doing?”

“Do you need an extra pair of socks?”

“Where’s Joe tonight?”

“Do you need an extra bag of food for Sharon?”

Basic questions, fulfilling a simple mission. It’s amazing what a little humanity and a bag of burritos can do.

If you’d like to donate to or get involved with the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry, you can visit their website or email inquiries to ubfm.dsm@gmail.com.

This article was originally published in Little Village’s August 2025 issue.