After I retired from being a teacher and school principal, I put serving others on the back burner for a while and focused on other parts of my life. Upon moving to San Francisco, however, the urge to help those in need returned as I confronted the city’s challenges around homelessness, poverty, addiction and hunger. I’ve always loved to cook, but I didn’t know how to turn that into something that felt as meaningful as my old work.

One night at my local bar, I ended up sitting next to a man deeply involved in homeless outreach. We got to talking, and I mentioned that if he ever needed someone to cook for folks, I’d be happy to help. Not long after, he called and asked what I could make in large batches to hand out on the street.

I thought about it for a bit, and then it hit me - burritos!

That weekend, I made dozens of egg, cheese, and sausage burritos, and we handed them out together. He started calling me “Burrito Dave,” and the name just stuck. Since then, I’ve continued doing this outreach a few times a month.

It feels good to take on something as huge as homelessness with something as humble as a burrito. The problems in our world are overwhelming - it’s easy to feel like nothing you do will matter. But I’ve learned that doing something, even a small thing, can go a long way. And for me, that something is showing up with a warm meal and a listening ear.