Phoenix (STN) – What if food insecurity were understood not only as a social issue, but as a healthcare issue, an education issue, and a defining community challenge?
That question brought together three leaders working at different intersections of hunger and health: January Contreras, executive director of Children’s Action Alliance; Jennifer Caraway, founder and CEO of The Joy Bus; and Trisha Stuart, director of community relations at Mercy Care. During a ‘Wellness Collective’ panel in the January episode of ‘It Happens at STN,’ they set out to reframe the conversation.
Contreras opened with a simple truth. “Nobody in our country wants kids to go hungry,” she said. Yet hunger remains a daily reality for thousands of Arizona families. “If a child doesn’t have enough to eat, it impacts their health long-term,” she said, pointing to higher rates of asthma, diabetes, and academic struggles. “How is a kid going to concentrate if they haven’t eaten?”
WATCH: Food becomes medicine in Arizona’s fight against hunger
Caraway’s story brought the issue home. She founded The Joy Bus after cooking meals for a close friend undergoing cancer treatment. When she found no similar program in the Valley, she created one. “Food is how I knew how to care,” she said. What began in her home kitchen now delivers more than 1,800 meals a week to cancer patients.
Stuart, who has spent the past four years in cancer treatment herself, spoke about what that care means. “When you’re battling cancer, even the thought of eating can be overwhelming,” she said. “The Joy Bus offers more than a meal. It offers dignity, comfort, and connection.”
The conversation also focused on solutions. Contreras highlighted recent wins, including Arizona’s historic investment in school meals and expanded childcare funding. “All of this is about the health of a child,” she said. “That’s good for Arizona’s future.”
Caraway urged leaders to support policy changes that recognize food as medicine and integrate it into healthcare funding models.
Stuart closed with a reminder that everyone has a role. “Time, treasure, talent,” she said. “Check on your neighbor. Volunteer. Partner. It doesn’t have to be a big grant to make a big difference.”
