St. Petersburg · Pinellas County · Tampa Bay
Turning gratitude into action, practical help, opportunity, and hope.
Our governing cycle
Gratitude should lead somewhere. At Dawn’s Heart, it leads to action that improves another person’s life.
The Dawn’s Heart governing cycle: Gratitude, then Action, then Impact, then Gratitude again.
Gratitude. Someone is grateful.
Action. They act.
Impact. Someone’s life gets better.
Gratitude. That person has something new to be grateful for.
And the circle continues.
Why Dawn’s Heart exists
Dawn’s Heart turns gratitude into action by helping people through life-changing hardship, mobilizing communities to meet immediate needs, and creating pathways toward greater stability, opportunity, and hope.
Inspired by a personal journey through Stage 4 adenocarcinoma lung cancer and the power of people helping people, Dawn’s Heart begins with cancer patients and families while extending compassion across the Tampa Bay community through practical assistance, volunteer service, and opportunities for self-sufficiency.
Rooted in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, and the Tampa Bay community.
Flagship direct-service program
Cancer Patient and Family Navigation and Support
“We do not treat the cancer. We help patients and families navigate everything cancer suddenly does to their lives.”
First 180 helps newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families manage the first 90 to 180 days of diagnosis, testing, treatment planning, and disruption to everyday life.
First 180 is in pilot development. It is not accepting applications, referrals, or health information at this time.
Understand, then Organize, then Connect, then Support, then Follow Through
Listen to the patient and caregiver, clarify immediate pressures, and identify what matters most now.
Create a practical plan for appointments, documents, household disruptions, transportation, and follow-up.
Link the family with hospital navigation, benefits, transportation, food, counseling, caregiver, and community resources.
Provide encouragement and, when approved and appropriate, limited gap assistance for needs that other resources do not meet.
Check whether referrals were completed, needs changed, and the family requires another connection or next step.
The broader portfolio
First 180 leads the portfolio. Fill the Truck, the Skilled Trades Legacy Project, and Heart Kits extend the work to immediate community needs, long-term opportunity, and accessible acts of service.
Signature Community Platform
Fill the Pantry. Feed Our Community.
A repeatable community collection and fundraising platform that benefits established organizations addressing food insecurity and related immediate needs.
Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Program
Last-Dollar. Last-Mile. Life-Changing Opportunity.
Helps motivated people enter and complete existing training, apprenticeship, and employment pathways by using existing resources first and addressing the remaining barriers.
Supporting Volunteer Activity
Small Acts and Meaningful Moments.
An accessible recurring volunteer activity for businesses, churches, families, schools, and community groups.
Where we meet people
Dawn’s Heart meets people where they are and helps convert support into renewed agency.
The continuum is both a service model and a decision tool. A new activity should meet a defined need, help a person move forward, and create a credible path back into gratitude and service.
Crisis, then Support, then Stability, then Opportunity, then Gratitude, then Action
A Dawn’s Heart initiative
WAYGFT is a Dawn’s Heart initiative, not a separate organization, nonprofit, or charitable program. It is the public engagement layer surrounding the portfolio, inviting people to share gratitude and turn it into action for someone else.
Share, then Inspire, then Act, then Give
Share
Answer the question: Today I’m grateful for ____________.
Inspire
With permission, selected responses may be shared in Dawn’s Heart storytelling.
Act
Clear opportunities to volunteer, share a campaign, mentor, or help a person or family.
Give
Gifts through Cure on Wheels for approved Dawn’s Heart purposes, with transparent designation language.
Public gratitude submissions are not yet open. The form on this site is a preview and does not send, store, or publish anything.
Clear opportunities to volunteer, share a campaign, mentor, or help a person or family. While submissions are in preparation, you can learn about the work and explore ways to help. Each pathway shows its current status.
Our founder’s story
Dawn’s Heart was inspired by founder George S. Bernardich’s journey after his November 15, 2023 diagnosis with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma lung cancer, and by the extraordinary support, prayer, and kindness he has experienced throughout his ongoing cancer battle.
George remains in ongoing treatment. This information is current as of October 6, 2026.
“What am I grateful for today, and how can that gratitude help someone else?”
Dawn’s Heart and What Are You Grateful For Today? grew from the answer.
Get involved
Interest forms are in preview while response and privacy practices are approved. Each page explains what is available now.
Lend a hand with Heart Kits, community collections, and events as opportunities are confirmed.
Bring your business, church, school, family, or community group together around a kit-building event.
Explore a future Fill the Truck campaign, community collaboration, or workforce pathway.
Share your trade experience with people preparing for skilled careers.
Stories & impact
When stories are shared here, each one will be real, told with the permission of the people in it, and accurately attributed.
Our charitable home
Dawn’s Heart is a fiscally sponsored charitable Project of Cure on Wheels, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations designated for Dawn’s Heart are received and administered by Cure on Wheels, Inc.
Donor
Gift or sponsorship
Cure on Wheels
Legal recipient and fiscal sponsor
Dawn’s Heart designated funds
Funds designated and tracked separately
Approved program
Charitable expenditure and reporting
Common questions
Short answers for search and assistants. Program pages still carry the current status of each initiative.
Someone is grateful. They act. Someone’s life gets better.
