In the days following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, biker Brian Boyer could not sit still. So he got on his bike and started moving.
As he traveled around the city, Boyer saw many long-standing community organizations coming to the forefront to aid a distressed community.
"I started asking what they needed, and then coming back to my house, finding that stuff in our house and bringing it back there."
Soon, Boyer's neighbors in southwest Minneapolis got involved, too, bringing over food and supplies.
"Once a day, we'd all meet in the middle of the block and everybody would bring stuff," Boyer said. "They'd load up my bike trailer and then I'd go drop it off all around the city."
As word spread among neighbors and on the Nextdoor app, Brian and his wife, Erica, organized their effort into Bikes & Bites. Their goal is to encourage giving and support the needs of existing organizations in Minneapolis — on bicycles. They hope to encourage driving less and inspire others to be less reliant on cars.
Erica Boyer said she used to hate biking. But she's come to love the little community she and her husband have created.
"Having this as a purpose, rather than just aimlessly biking around, I've actually really come to somewhat enjoy biking. We have a 5-year-old who bikes, so she comes with us to pick up donations from neighbors a few blocks away," Erica said. "It's a great way to meet people when you're stuck at home all day."