His bicycle built for two comes with a tiny covered trailer and his green safety vest is emblazoned with the words "Powered by Potatoes". He’s young and lean and bearded and not what you might imagine as a typical Loaves & Fishes Centers volunteer. But Vlad Ionis is making a difference in the lives of homebound seniors in the Hollywood neighborhood by delivering Meals-On-Wheels using his bike.

And it all started with the screening of a documentary film. "I had gone to see ‘The End of Suburbia’ at the First Unitarian Church," Vlad explained. "When the film ended, I spoke with Barbara Ford at the church about how to volunteer in the community using my bike. She told me about the need for Meals-On-Wheels drivers and the high cost of gas. I connected with Loaves & Fishes Centers Volunteer Relations Director Angel Pilato and she sent me to the Hollywood Center."

Vlad is no stranger to delivering stuff on his bicycle. For several years he was a bike messenger in Manhattan and if he could survive that, delivering a few hot meals is a snap! Hollywood Center Manager Mary Langman provides him with a soft-sided cooler for the cold packs and a small hard-sided cooler with a handle for the hot food. He slips them into his little trailer and off he goes.

A native of Ukraine, Vlad moved to New York with his family in 1995. He spent some time in Israel and then followed a friend to Portland late last year. He works as a cabinet maker and also volunteers for Food Not Bombs, a group that shares free vegetarian food with hungry people and protests both war and poverty.

"Cyclists can always use good press," Vlad said. "And I end up helping people at the same time."