Urban Bicycle Food Ministry
UBFM is an outreach charity to provide radical hospitality to people in need in the Des Moines area. Each week teams of people make burritos and sandwiches, then deliver them along with donated water, other food and survival essentials. Check out their website for more information.
With UBFM, you can help the most needy in our community. You may give someone the only meal they'll get that day. More importantly you'll demonstrate God's love and caring for people you wouldn't ordinarily meet. There's definitely grace in connecting with a stranger in a meaningful, caring way. The city's homeless look forward to Thursday nights knowing the burrito slingers in bright yellow shirts will be showing up. God moments happen and are generally shared at weekly group meeting. Lastly, you'll get to know some of the other volunteers, who are generally caring, kind people, the sort of people you'd like to have as friends.
The weekly event is on Thursday nights, starting and ending at Capital Hill Lutheran Church in Des Moines (5th and Des Moines Street). Timing depends on which areas you want to volunteer. Community cooking starts around 4pm. Team organizing happens between 5pm and 6pm. There's brief group meeting and prayer at 6pm, followed by the teams departing to make deliveries. Currently there are eight teams covering different parts of the city on bicycles and in vehicles. Each team is expected to be finished and back at Capital Hill by 8:30pm. Easy!
Cook, roll burritos, make sandwiches, organize donations and/or participate on bicycle or vehicle delivery teams.
To get involved:
facebook page. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/410291065841161. There's a volunteer signup here for each week's event.
Or just show up with a willing attitude. There's always plenty to do before the teams depart and there will be people to help you pick a team to help with deliveries. Bring your bicycle if you're a biker.
If you have specific questions before you get involved, contact parishioner Curt Carlson 515-783-3819