by Madison Rutherford | photography by Angelina Aragon
When her friend Joy Seitz-Butz was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011, Valley chef Jennifer Caraway began delivering homemade dishes to her doorstep. “One time, I was sitting outside her house, and I was like, ‘Maybe there’s a company I can call to do this for the days that I can’t,’” she says. When she couldn’t find one, she created it herself. That year, she launched The Joy Bus to prepare and deliver fresh, chef-driven meals to cancer patients across the Valley.
Seitz-Butz lost her battle with cancer in February 2012, but the wheels for her eponymous 501(c)(3) were already turning. Caraway believes her friend would’ve been thrilled to see the 2016 opening of The Joy Bus Diner, a small North Phoenix restaurant where a growing number of volunteers prepped patient meals and served the public to support the cause. This September, the diner moved to a larger space down the street, where a 5,000-square-foot commercial kitchen supports 1,000 meal deliveries per week. “The community got us here,” Caraway says.
The Joy Bus
In 2020, The Joy Bus was featured on an episode of Returning the Favor, when host Mike Rowe surprised Caraway with a custom 1973 Volkswagen Bus tricked out by KG’s Classics in Tempe.
Celebrity Wall
A chronological photo gallery showcases the charitable restaurant’s many friends and supporters, including Valley VIPs like chef Chris Bianco and Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo.
Photo of Joy
A framed portrait of the nonprofit’s namesake guards the kitchen door. “She embodied her name,” Caraway says.
Wild Thing Botanicals
Purchasing succulents and philodendrons allows this Phoenix florist and plant shop to continue delivering bouquets to cancer patients every week.
Custom Mural
Caraway commissioned Phoenix artist Hailey Smith to paint this vibrant mural behind the restaurant, which features a pair of hummingbirds that represent Joy and her sister, Tina.
The Joy Bus Diner
10401 N. 32nd St., Phoenix
602-595-5884, joybus.org
