Tag Archives: Center City Park

Greensboro Burrito Bikers: One year of feeding the homeless

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Michele (CM)| Leave a comment

On a Sunday morning in late October 2009, Hayes Holderness headed out on his bicycle with a backpack full of hot egg, sausage, cheese, and hash brown burritos, to provide breakfast to residents of a homeless tent city, and thus, Greensboro Burrito Bikers was born. Soon, other riders joined him, and throughout the winter, they served about 20 homeless people every Sunday morning at various camp sites.

In an effort to serve more homeless and hungry people, the group eventually moved to a stationary location in downtown Greensboro, and now, as Greensboro Burrito Bikers nears its one-year anniversary, Holderness and a team of volunteers are feeding 40-50 people on Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. on the sidewalk outside of Center City Park at the intersection of Friendly Avenue and Davie Street.  (Update from Hayes: Burrito Bikers fed 65+ people on Saturday, October 23rd!)

Holderness was inspired to begin this feeding ministry after riding along with his brother Tommy’s Burrito Bikers group in Charlotte. After his niece rode with the Greensboro group this past winter, she started a Burrito Bikers group in Chapel Hill, and they’re already making news (here and here).

As Greensboro Burrito Bikers continues to grow and serve more homeless people, they welcome and need volunteers and donors.

Volunteer opportunities include:

  • Making breakfast burritos (can be made during the week and frozen)
  • Coming out on Saturday mornings to serve and spend time with homeless and hungry breakfast guests

Donate breakfast items:

  • Breakfast burritos (or other filling main item, such as breakfast sandwiches/biscuits with eggs and/or meat)
  • Bottled water
  • Coffee, cups, sugar, creamer
  • Bananas
  • Snack crackers
  • Financial donations (costs about $50 to serve 40 people)

To learn more about Greensboro Burrito Bikers, and how to volunteer and donate, visit their web site and join them on Facebook.

Update — Photos I took when I hung out with Burrito Bikers on 08/28/2010:

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Posted in Homeless

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Center City brown bagging and homeless violence

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Michele (CM)| 1 Comment

From a formerly homeless friend’s Facebook:

Was walking thru the center city park…seems like it has turned into an alcoholic playground. Everywhere i turned there were cups being filled with brown bag specials….i would love to sit and toast in the park…but then again its scorching heat…..pray with me for our homeless friends….i saw a lady at the library with a gash in her head..sitting in the sun…prayer breaks the devils spirit and saves lives.

This is sad. Physical and/or sexual violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women and children, and homeless women are more likely than housed women to be victims of violence. I will be praying for the lady at the library.

And I’m discouraged to hear about the drinking at Center City Park. The park has provided a peaceful place for many homeless people to spend time, and my initial fears that they’d be unwelcome there turned out to be unfounded. I hope that no homeless people are among the brown baggers. Alcoholism is an illness and I don’t judge, but it’s not just against the rules to drink at the park, it’s disrespectful, too. The brown baggers need to find another spot to get their drink on. :(

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Posted in Addiction, Community, Homeless

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Center City Park: Homeless in the morning

Posted on September 8, 2008 by Michele (CM)| 5 Comments

I drove kid #1 to the courthouse for jury duty, and I have a couple of hours until my first client appointment, so I’m working outside at Center City Park. I have coffee and they have free wifi. It’s a beautiful morning. Several of my homeless friends were already here when I arrived. As I look around now, there are more, sitting on benches all around the park, patiently waiting out the day.

The park is one of the few places with public restrooms downtown. The only other place I can think of is the library, a block away. I often come by this park just to see homeless friends. I can only think of one time that I didn’t find any of them here. It was just last Tuesday, around 6:00 in the evening, and the tables and benches where my friends usually sit seemed strangely deserted. Then I remembered that it was dinner time, and that everyone had probably gone over to First Presbyterian to eat. The park seemed lonely and empty with none of my friends there to greet me.

This morning, those who are here are quiet. They look tired and pensive, their eyes staring off into the distance, seeing something that I can’t see. I wonder where they slept last night — and how much. I wonder what it’s like to wake up each day and have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Another homeless friend has just arrived, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. So begins another day…

Update: Had to leave the park to run errands before my appointment. Drove by the block (Lee & Eugene) on my way to the thrift store. Homeless people filled the sidewalk on both sides of the street. Then drove by Arlington House. Breakfast is long since over, but there are still homeless folks sitting on the wall outside. I’m at the library for a few moments now, and I was greeted by homeless friends outside and inside. Everywhere downtown, homeless people, just sitting around, doing nothing. Nowhere to go, nothing to do. It’s time to get that day center opened.

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Posted in The Stories

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