Members of the Phoenix Street Food Coalition have banded together to raise money to offset the medical costs of Margita Webb, co-owner of the Hey Joe! Filipino Street Food food truck, who was diagnosed with stage three cancer.
Margita, who runs the popular Hey Joe! food truck with her husband Brian Webb, is undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. Brian said that Margita’s cancer has spread to her head and neck and that she has a tumor behind her nasal cavity.
The family has also set up a GoFundMe fundraising account, hoping to reach a goal of $15,000 to help with medical costs.
The excerpt from Margita’s GoFundMe profile said her family is putting their food truck business, which is their only source of income, to the side so they can concentrate on her health.
Brian said Margita and he used to put in significantly more time into the business. However, Margita’s illness made her unable to work, and Brian began to focus most of his time toward her care.
“We are down to only about three stops a week now,” Brian said, referring to the food truck business. “It takes a tremendous amount of time to prepare before we start working because the food is all made from scratch.”
Brad Moore, treasurer of the Phoenix Street Food Coalition and co-owner of Short Leash Hot Dogs, said the food truck vendors have strong connections to those within their community.
“We do whatever we can,” Moore said. “We are all about supporting our other food truck operators. We love them and we want to be supportive of them in any way.”
According to Moore, the vendors were so determined to help that they had already begun fundraising in Webb’s name.
“It’s really an amazing support system,” Brian said. “It’s kind of like having another family with the coalition.”
At the weekly Food Truck Friday event in the Phoenix Public Market on Aug. 23, 10 percent of all sales from participating vendors went to a fund for Margita. The event was not only to raise money, but also to raise awareness of her situation.
“It was really cool seeing the food trucks come together,” Brian said. “It’s really nice to see everybody coming together to help my wife and I.”
Darryl King is the owner of the food truck Taste Rite! and a close friend of Margita and Brian. He said Margita is very balanced in life — sincere, committed to family and a hard worker.
King said those in the food truck business take care of their own, but also described the fundraising of the food trucks to be on an individualized basis.
“I think a lot of the trucks are donating a certain amount of their money for the month of August,” King said. “I think everyone is kind of taking it on their own … If Brian and (Margita) say they need a bit more help, we will do what we can, but it is all on an individual basis — some people can’t afford it.”
King said some people are writing personal checks straight from their bank accounts rather than donating from sales. According to Brian, many of the food truck owners are donating in this way, while others are continuing to donate a percentage of sales.
As far as the business goes, Brian said he hopes this will all be a speed bump in the Hey Joe! food truck business that he and Margita wish to expand in the future. He believes that with the support of the community, his wife’s battle will be easier to fight.
“With the financial and moral support, it makes things a lot easier to really get to the ultimate goal of getting her healthy again and getting our business back to where it was,” Brian said. “I know she’s really scared to kind of go through this, the support that everyone has given us has really given us strength to get over it.”
In order to help support the family, people can buy food from one of the food trucks that is donating a portion of profits from their business for the month. Donations are also accepted at Margita’s GoFundMe profile. The schedules for the food trucks and more information about the coalition can be found at phxstreetfood.org.
Contact the reporter at rebecca.brisley@asu.edu
