Giving Back in St. Louis

LifeWise StL

Of everything on this page, our relationship with LifeWise StL runs deepest. It started with a donated catering lunch in 2024 and kept growing: catering service donated to their charity auctions — including their 2026 golf tournament — a donated event booking at 9 Mile Garden, food for their celebrations, and a Giving Tuesday lunch we cooked at cost on purpose.

The part we're proudest of isn't any single donation. It's that they let Julian teach the kids how to cook. That's the kind of ask you say yes to before they've finished asking. See the photos →

Veterans Community Project

For a taco truck, Cinco de Mayo is the Super Bowl. In 2026 we spent ours with Veterans Community Project, serving their donor event and cutting our minimum by 70% to make the day work for them. Why give up the biggest day of the year? In Julian's words when they asked: "I come from a family of service members." VCP builds transitional tiny homes for veterans right here in St. Louis — see what they do at vcp.org.

The APA and the Wildwood cats

In September 2024, the APA Adoption Center took in more than 130 cats from a hoarding case in Wildwood — the largest cat rescue in the organization's history, with nearly 500 cats in their care at the peak. We donated our sales from a day of service to the effort. When Julian came by to drop off the check, the APA insisted he stay and meet the cats he'd helped. He did. For a while. (He has a soft spot for cats.)

In her thank-you letter, APA President & CEO Sarah Javier called the gift "a testament to the goodness in the world." We'd point those words right back at the APA team who took in every one of those cats.

Stray Rescue of St. Louis

In 2023 we donated food three times to Stray Rescue of St. Louis: three hundred–plus quesadillas for their Urban Wanderers event at the Four Seasons, and donated food for both their golf tournament and their gala. If you've ever met a Stray Rescue dog, you understand.

Children's Heart Foundation

When the Congenital Heart Walk came through in 2025, we waived our sales minimum so the day could happen the way it should. Some causes just shouldn't carry vendor math.

A note about the rest of this page: we don't count showing up as charity. Vending at a fundraiser is a working day like any other. But these events matter to St. Louis, and being the truck they invite back matters to us.

Walks, fundraisers & the events that matter

Some of the days we're proudest of were spent serving other people's causes:

• Light the Night — Blood Cancer United's walk in Forest Park, 2024 and 2025.
• The Alzheimer's Association — fundraiser at World Wide Technology Raceway, 2023.
• The Arthritis Foundation — Walk to Cure Arthritis, 2025.
• 12 Bars of Charity — proud to be part of the Armory's stop on the crawl.
• The St. Louis Out of the Darkness Walk — 3,000 walkers strong, 2023.
• Queerdance Fundraiser and Amplify the Arch — LGBTQ community celebrations we're glad to be invited to.
• Poochella — a dog-adoption event, 2023.

Around St. Louis

You may have seen us once — or many times — at the places that make this city itself: Gateway Arch Park Foundation events like Arch Bark, Blues at the Arch, and WinterFest · Forest Park Forever · the Great Forest Park Balloon Race · the Missouri Botanical Garden's Best of Missouri Market · the Saint Louis Zoo · the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in Forest Park · Tower Grove Park's Food Truck Fridays and Pride · Laumeier Sculpture Park · the International Institute's Community Bazaar · Pride St. Louis · the Kranzberg Arts Foundation · Scott Air Force Base, some thirty dates in 2024 · and campuses across the region — WashU, SLU, Lindenwood, Maryville, Logan University.

80,000 meals after the tornado

When the May 2025 tornado tore through parts of St. Louis, World Central Kitchen came to town — and we joined in, contributing to roughly 80,000 meals for our neighbors through May and June. Some of the most meaningful cooking we've ever done.