BARR Credit Team Cooks Up a “Happy” Meal at Ronald McDonald House

Chef for a Day Volunteers
Serve Their Community

A team of BARR Credit Services employees and their family members recently volunteered as Chef for a Day at the Tucson Ronald McDonald House (RMDH).

BARR Credit Services staff from left to right: (front row) Aaron Fisher and Bridgette Morales; (back row) Brandon Morales, Terry Collins, Carolyn Forehand, Pam Bim, and Tim Grimes.

According to Mikay Wright, RMDH volunteer coordinator, the BARR staff really “did it up” and “left no stone unturned” when they prepared a Sunday brunch of scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, pancakes, potato casserole, fruit, and homemade biscuits with sausage gravy. All the food was purchased by BARR Credit Services.

Challenging Circumstances

The Tucson RMDH provides food and accommodations to families with sick children who are being treated at an area hospital or medical center. The Chef for a Day program relies on volunteers to prepare home-cooked meals onsite for up to 60 people each day.

Tim Grimes, from BARR Credit Services, knew his volunteer team was up to the challenge. Tim owns a catering business (in his spare time!) and has volunteered as Chef for a Day on about 50 occasions, four times with a team from BARR.

History of Service

In addition to working with the Tucson RMDH, BARR Credit Services’ staff have prepared and served Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at the Tucson Salvation Army for the past 26 years.

Tim Grimes serves as holiday meal co-chair on the organization’s advisory board.

Tim acknowledged that summertime can be a challenge for RMDH because the fraternities and sororities who often volunteer during the school year are not available during the summer months.

Smiles All Around

For this particular Sunday, the team shared a lot of laughter, despite minor issues regulating the temperature on RMDH’s five ovens and three cooktops.

“They were happy to be there,” Tim said. “Carolyn and Terry had a great time cooking maybe 120 pancakes. They were laughing a lot and trying to flip ’em in the air and not make a mess. They tried that a couple times. That was entertaining.”