Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Udell.
Hi Allison, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
On Christmas Eve of 2014, when I was in the eighth grade, my dad, Lyle, asked me to spend the evening volunteering with a non-profit that he had been apart of for the past 10 months. I had known about how he spent his Wednesday nights – serving food to the homeless of Memphis via bicycle, but hadn’t ever gone with him before. I agreed, and that night was the beginning of a long and rewarding journey of service and fellowship with the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry (UBFM).
UBFM was started in July of 2012 by Tommy Clark, who was a student at Memphis Theological Seminary. He wanted to combine his love of people and bicycles, and decided to go out with a few homemade burritos and find some people to feed on the streets of Memphis. This ignited a passion in him to continue to go and seek people out to feed them – and there hasn’t been a Wednesday night missed in almost thirteen years. About a year and a half after UBFM’s beginning, Saturday morning rides were implemented.
My first ride was not one to brag about – I had ridden on the route with the most traffic and terrain, and fell off of my bike on a busy sidewalk. My dad had assured me that if I came back the next Wednesday night, that I could ride a different route and likely have a better experience. Luckily, he was right. I connected with this mission of seeking people out to serve them, instead of making them come to a certain location for food, water, and friendship.
In 2016, the founder of UBFM moved away from Memphis, and asked my dad and I to keep things afloat. We began leading the Wednesday night rides, as well as the Saturday morning rides. Since then, alongside our wonderful volunteers, we have been able to serve our friends on the street for over 1,200 rides.
Our mission is to seek out the forgotten and show our friends on the street that we respect and care for them, as well as giving them a meal. I have had the pleasure of executing this mission with UBFM for over 10 years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been some challenges along the way! There’s many aspects to what we do. We aim to serve our friends on the street with a meal while ensuring the safety of them and our volunteers. We see a lot of people suffering from mental illness, and it is imperative that we approach these situations carefully and calmly. We have been cussed out and threatened many a time while serving, and we know that, in most cases, it is due to an underlying mental health issue.
We also have to manage our volunteers, ensuring the safety of both old and new riders. We conduct a safety briefing with all new volunteers to educate them on what we do and how we maintain safety. We also host visiting groups, both local and out of town, to ride with us. It can be challenging with a larger group to juggle keeping the group together, ensuring that everyone is safe around our friends and on the road, and giving everyone an opportunity to serve.
Each ride is different – we see different people to serve, have different volunteers, and have different interactions. No two rides are the same, and that’s one of the things I like most.
There are many challenges trying to run a non-profit, but the outcomes are so rewarding and worth it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Registered Nurse at Youth Villages, a non-profit organization with a residential psychiatric facility for children. I am so intrigued by the brain and human behavior, as well as providing therapeutic care to children who need guidance from trusted caregivers.
I know a part of my “why” for choosing to specialize in psychiatric nursing comes from my years of volunteering with our friends who suffer from mental illness. I am able to actively listen to them and provide emotional support as needed.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
“The Leader Phrase Book” by Patrick Alan was given to me by my dad to enhance my leadership skills and speak in ways that gain respect from others while still getting your mission accomplished. I continue to aspire to lead in the best ways possible, and build rapport with volunteers while ensuring that our work gets done effectively.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ubfmmemphis.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubfmmemphis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanbicyclefoodministry/
