What started in 2011 as an effort to make life a little easier for homebound people with cancer now delivers nearly 10,000 free meals (along with wellness checks and home visits) to patients per year. Since 2015, the organization has also served anyone who prefers their breakfast or lunch with a side of philanthropy through the 100% nonprofit The Joy Bus Diner.  

Founder and CEO Jennifer Caraway turned grief into action after her good friend Joy died from ovarian cancer. Caraway, who’d had a career in restaurant management, started delivering free home-cooked meals to cancer patients in the Phoenix area and found they appreciated a little conversation and cheer as much as the food. She started The Joy Bus to address the need she’d seen firsthand by providing not just fresh, nutritious meals but support and wellness checks to help patients through an especially challenging time.  

The Joy Bus, which strives to provide 2,500 home visits per week by 2026, brings hand-decorated bags of fresh, prepared meals, flowers, and especially a warm smile. 

When you’re up against cancer, your nutritional needs change. Caraway, an advocate for the “food is medicine” movement, has researched how cancer and cancer treatment impact the body’s needs and its reactions to various dietary components.   

A common concern, according to the patient resource guide from The Joy Bus, is that even though a patient may seem to be getting enough food, many kinds of tumors get in the way of those nutrients being absorbed. Similarly, supporting the cancer-fighting immune cells that live in our guts becomes more important during treatment, and The Joy Bus is meticulous about balancing the protein and nutrients that do just that.  

The Joy Bus has been working toward a major expansion to meet its 2,500 meals per week goal and expanded programming to help more patients nourish their bodies as well as possible. Growing The Joy Bus Diner’s kitchen, pantry, and dining capacity in a much larger space are part of this plan. In fact, the new space just recently opened! 

Caraway’s vision for that space includes a headquarters, an organic food pantry with free food for all Maricopa County cancer patients, a culinary program for young adults who have been personally affected by cancer, and a teaching kitchen for patients and their caretakers.  

In the meantime, the organization partners with University of Arizona to offer supervised experiential learning focused on community nutrition and food service management through an internship program for graduate students in the master of dietetics program.  

The need for meals and support for homebound cancer patients still far surpasses the reach of the organization, but that reach has been steadily increasing. In 2024, The Joy Bus reached 21% more patients than it had in 2023. Nearly half (46.2%) of those patients have an annual household income of less than $20k, and a further 26.9% fall into the $20-40k per year range. More than half (54.4%) of patients served by The Joy Bus are in their 60s or 70s.  

Caraway is working to increase that reach not just through the More Than a Meal campaign but through a companion cookbook, which features recipes from local, award-winning chefs.  She further got a chance to get the word out in 2018, when she appeared on Chopped—and won $10,000 for The Joy Bus. As she put it in her excitement at the time: “Holy crap, ten thousand dollars is huge! That literally means a thousand more meals to someone in need.” 

First off, here’s terrific news: You can help The Joy Bus by enjoying a Belgian waffle or avocado toast. Maybe a power bowl or Reuben sandwich. The Joy Bus Diner offers catering and serves breakfast and lunch in Phoenix Thursday through Sunday. Every cent you spend at the diner goes directly back into the organization.  

But that’s not the only way you can help. In 2024, The Joy Bus was supported by more than 200 volunteers, contributing 5,773 hours across a host of activities. Volunteer activities (including working in the diner) shift as need demands, and The Joy Bus maintains updated opportunities through Better Impact. Here’s a sample of what you might find when you’re ready to get involved:   

For each current opportunity, The Joy Bus provides detailed information about how you’ll help and an online application process.  

The Joy Bus welcomes donations to help fund fresh meals, social support, and nutrition education to homebound cancer patients, and you can also show your support by shopping The Joy Bus store to contribute cash and help spread the message.