WHEN YOUR resources are few and far
between, having the means to provide
clothing for yourself or a growing family
can be a struggle. That’s where White
Pony Express (WPE; whiteponyexpress.
org), established in ;;;; by Dr. Carol
Weyland Conner, comes in. The Pleasant
Hill, California–based nonprofit organization operates the Free General
Store program to provide clothing for
children, men and women, and also
distributes toys and books.
Instead of serving residents from
a permanent storefront, WPE takes
things one step further, using volunteers to drive trucks full of goods to
communities in need all over Contra
Costa County. Costco member Mary
Brooks, who oversees the Free General
Store, says that the “mobile boutiques” take
away the barrier of access for those without
means of transportation.
Magic bus
WHEN JENNIFER Caraway’s friend Joy
was diagnosed with ovarian cancer several
years ago, Caraway wanted to help by cooking nutritious meals for her. While
Caraway—a Costco member in Phoenix—
helped her friend, she wondered about
cancer patients who didn’t enjoy the same
support. So she came up with a plan.
What started as a simple gesture of
kindness for a friend has turned into a nonprofit organization that delivers nutrition
and compassion, one meal at a time. Just
before Joy passed away in ;;;;, Caraway
showed her a drawing of the name she had
trademarked—The Joy Bus—explaining
that she was going to provide delicious,
healthy meals for homebound cancer
patients in Joy’s name.
Caraway began her mission by knocking on doors. A veteran of the restaurant
and catering business, she wasn’t shy
about asking local chefs to partner with
her, as well as reaching out to companies
that could donate provisions and supplies.
The response was tremendous, and she
emphasizes that she couldn’t do it alone.
“This is totally a community effort.
There are so many people who volunteer
and make it happen each week. This is not
a one-person thing,” Caraway says.
To identify those most in need of her
healthy meals, Caraway works with patient
case managers. For the past six years, she
and her volunteers have collected, cooked
and delivered food to hundreds of homebound cancer patients in need of a friendly
face and a home-cooked meal.
Today, Caraway cites several celebrity
chefs, a local organic farmer and more
than ;; volunteers as partners in The
Joy Bus ( thejoybus.org). One of those
volunteers is Mike Lebrasca, who has been
battling prostate cancer for two years.
Each week, Lebrasca preps food and delivers meals.
“It’s a way for me to give back and be
involved rather than sitting at home just
waiting for my next treatment. I share my
story with patients and they share theirs,”
Lebrasca says.
In ;;;;, Caraway opened The Joy Bus
Diner ( thejoybusdiner.com)—a ;;; percent nonprofit diner that operates solely to
finance the organization’s mission. On
Fridays, you’ll find Caraway and her volunteers at the diner, cooking, packaging and
delivering meals, along with a friendly
word and a smile.—Sally Benford
Costco members doing their part
to help make the world a better place
MEMBERCONNECTION
w
Pony Express (WPE; whiteponyexpress.
things one step further, using volun-
o
Costa County. Costco member Mary
away the barrier of access for those without
Accessible
goods for all
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Jennifer Caraway’s Joy Bus
organization delivers meals
to those undergoing cancer
treatment.
OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS
Click here to see the Joy
Bus Diner. (See page 11
for details.)
C hanging the world
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