Bikes for Kids Wisconsin Pilots New Meals on 2 Wheels Program for Grocery Delivery on Bike with The River Food Pantry

This fall, 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 $120,000 between November and February to launch the program in April 2026. A fleet of volunteer riders will be recruited for the program, with hopes of launching in full gear in April 2026. Meals on 2 Wheels will operate April through October 2026.

The fleet of volunteer riders, on e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, all with trailers, will deliver 160–320 pounds of groceries on weekdays, 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. 

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 hundreds of 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.