How the HeartWorks Food Trailer Is Bringing Awareness, Connection, and Hope to CHD Families
At HeartWorks, our mission has always been rooted in more than science alone. While our work is focused on developing life-changing therapies for congenital heart disease (CHD), we know that progress is also built through community, connection, and the families who continue to move this mission forward every day.
That spirit is at the heart of one of our growing outreach projects: the HeartWorks “Feed the Cure” Food Trailer.
What began as a simple idea has grown into a meaningful way for HeartWorks to show up for families, support community events, raise awareness of CHD, and help fund research that may one day change what is possible for children and adults living with congenital heart disease.
A Simple Idea Rooted in Family, Food, and Purpose
The idea for the HeartWorks food trailer started one afternoon during a conversation among team members brainstorming ways to better support families who host events in honor of heart warriors and loved ones impacted by CHD.
Many of these events had something beautiful in common: they brought people together, created space for remembrance, celebration, awareness, and hope, and often centered around something familiar and comforting: food.
What started as a conversation about BBQ and family-centered events quickly grew into a bigger idea. What if HeartWorks could bring a food trailer to these gatherings? What if we could serve meals, support participants, and stand alongside families as they raised awareness for congenital heart disease?
From that question, the “Feed the Cure” Food Trailer was born.
Showing Up for Heart Warriors and CHD Families
The core goal of the “Feed the Cure” Food Trailer is simple: to show up.
For many families impacted by congenital heart disease, the journey is long, emotional, and deeply personal, often including surgeries, hospital stays, uncertainty, grief, resilience, and hope. At HeartWorks, supporting CHD families means more than advancing research in the lab. It means walking alongside families in the moments that matter most.
Through the food trailer, HeartWorks connects with communities in a personal and practical way. A warm meal brings comfort. A shared table creates connection. A familiar plate of food can turn an event into a gathering place where stories are shared, heart warriors are honored, and families feel supported.
From Humble Beginnings to a Growing Outreach Effort
Like many meaningful projects, the “Feed the Cure” Food Trailer started small. Some of the first events included the Beats 4 Bella Golf Outing in Philadelphia and a neighborhood cheeseburger birthday party for Asher. These early events shaped the heart of the project, reminding the team this was about being present with families, not just serving food.
Since then, the project has grown significantly:
- 26 food events served across 8 states
- 22,662 miles driven to meet families where they are
- 5,940 people fed
Behind every number is a person served, a conversation started, a family supported, and another opportunity to share the HeartWorks mission.
Growing the Mission at Ashley for the Arts
One of the most exciting milestones for the “Feed the Cure” Food Trailer has been participating as a food vendor at Ashley for the Arts, a two-day music festival held each August. This year marks HeartWorks’ third year at the festival.
Last year, the team doubled sales from year one and reached the maximum capacity of the current setup. That growth made one thing clear: a larger trailer was needed. With a new, bigger setup, HeartWorks is preparing to serve more people, support more events, and create more meaningful connections with families, caregivers, donors, and community members who care about the future of CHD treatment.
Join us at Ashley for the Arts on August 7 & 8!
More Than a Meal: Fueling Hope for CHD Research
The “Feed the Cure” Food Trailer is about connection, awareness, and supporting families who tirelessly honor their heart warriors and move CHD research forward.
Every plate served creates an opportunity to share why HeartWorks exists. Every event helps more people learn about CHD and the promise of research focused on repairing and restoring damaged heart tissue. Every mile driven reflects a commitment to meet families in their communities and stand beside them in the shared hope for a cure.
At HeartWorks, we believe progress happens in many places: in research labs, at fundraising events, and sometimes beside a food trailer over a plate of BBQ, mac and cheese, or a cheeseburger.
And if you ask us, we serve up some pretty great food along the way, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is congenital heart disease (CHD)?
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a structural defect of the heart that is present at birth. It is the most common type of birth defect in the United States, affecting approximately 1 in 100 babies born each year. CHD can range from simple conditions that resolve without intervention to complex defects requiring multiple open-heart surgeries, lifelong monitoring, and ongoing medical care. Despite how common it is, CHD remains one of the most underfunded major childhood diseases in the country.
Why is congenital heart disease underfunded?
CHD receives significantly less research funding relative to its prevalence and impact when compared to other major diseases. Several factors contribute to this gap. CHD lacks the widespread public awareness that drives large-scale philanthropic campaigns. Many people do not realize how common it is or how serious the lifelong burden can be for patients and families. Additionally, because CHD is a structural condition present at birth rather than an acquired disease, it has historically received less attention from traditional public health campaigns. That is why community-driven organizations and events are so essential, they raise both funds and visibility for a condition that urgently needs more of both.
Why does the Feed the Cure trailer travel across the United States?
CHD affects roughly 1 in 100 babies born in the United States each year, which sounds like a large number until you realize what it means geographically. Those families are spread across every state, every city, and every community in the country. There is no single place where the CHD community gathers. Families raising awareness, hosting memorial events, and fundraising for research are doing so in backyards, local parks, golf courses, breweries, and neighborhoods from coast to coast. The Feed the Cure Food Trailer travels to meet them there because showing up matters, and because the CHD community, as large as it is, can feel isolated when you are the only heart family on your street. We go where they are.
What events does the Feed the Cure trailer attend?
The Feed the Cure Food Trailer attends a wide variety of community events hosted by and for CHD families including charity rides, golf outings, birthday celebrations, memorials, awareness walks, and community festivals. HeartWorks also participates as a food vendor at larger events like Ashley for the Arts, an annual two-day music festival. If you are hosting an event in honor of a heart warrior or to raise awareness for CHD, you can reach out to HeartWorks about bringing the Feed the Cure trailer to your community.
How does the Feed the Cure trailer support CHD research?
The Feed the Cure Food Trailer serves as both a fundraising vehicle and a community connection tool for HeartWorks. Proceeds from food sales and events support HeartWorks’ mission to develop regenerative therapies for congenital heart disease. Beyond fundraising, every event is an opportunity to share the HeartWorks story, educate communities about CHD, and build the kind of grassroots awareness that keeps research moving forward. Progress in CHD research depends on resources and those resources come from communities that understand the urgency.
