Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/51669
workWith MeCarrie Bennett-Barndt A local business owner serves up a recipe for giving back The Ronald McDonald House Located near UW Hospital and the American Family Children's Hospital, Madison's Ronald McDonald House provides a "home away from home" for critically ill children and their families who come to area medical facilities for treatment. Donations help cover the cost of operating the house that has already provided shelter to 16,000 families in need. Visit rmhcmadison.org to fi nd out more. When the sun sets this holiday season, Madison's Olin Park comes alive thanks to the annual Holiday Fantasy in Lights display. With the park illuminated and full of revelers spreading good cheer, behind one fes- tive display is a more serious goal—to shine a light on an annual campaign for families in need. As part of a yearly fund- raising effort for Madison's Ronald McDonald House, which provides lodging for families with a child in the hos- pital, the campaign is particularly close to the heart of Carrie Bennett- Barndt, owner of seven local McDonald's restaurants and member of the Ronald McDonald House board of directors. "It's my passion," she says of the non- profi t. And it shows. For Bennett-Barndt, giving back is a year-round affair, and is what motivated her to become involved with the company 34 years ago. Th ough she had never worked in a res- taurant or run a business, Bennett-Barndt realized she did have something in com- mon with McDonald's: a desire to give back. So when the opportunity arose to launch a franchised McDonald's—which, despite its global reach, was founded with a goal of funneling funds back into the local communities each store operates in—she jumped into the kitchen. "What owning this business gives me is an opportunity to indulge in the things that are important to me," says the 59-year-old, who worked in construction management before ultimately becoming a McDonald's owner-operator with her husband. For Bennett-Barndt, that means employing community members and fi nding a way to make a difference off the job as well. Even as her 12-year term on the board of the Ronald McDonald House comes to a close, Bennett-Barndt is committed to improving the lives of children in need. "You can't just take from a community, you have to give back," she says. —Kelsey Sorenson December 2011 bravamagazine.com 33 Photo by Amber Arnold