Barry and Diane celebrated their 40th year of marriage in June, memorializing it months earlier with a colorful remarriage ceremony in a Masai village in Kenya. The happy couple wore traditional Masai ceremonial dress, enjoying the festivities with their good friends and the entire Masai village as their wedding guests.

In 1975, Barry began and has managed for 42 years, his own exterior maintenance service company. Preferring to keep it in the family, his brother and nephew run the day-to-day operations, so Barry may enjoy “semi-retirement.” Diane, a registered dietitian, now specializes in diabetes education, and sees private patients in Westlake Village to help them monitor, manage, and control their health.

Both Barry and Diane got involved with the Rescue Mission Alliance Valley Food Bank as one of their philanthropic endeavors as it became more apparent and urgent that underfed and undernourished residents needed assistance. No child should start the day hungry, nor should one ever go to bed hungry. Chronic hunger in this nation has spiraled and it is now incumbent upon everyone to help feed the people in one of the world’s richest countries.

Barry spends much of his free time wearing many hats for the American Red Cross: disaster service worker, emergency response vehicle driver, transportation specialist delivering blood to hospitals—he’s even served as an emergency medical responder for the Rose Parade and various civic events. Diane spends one or two days each week helping their daughter with her twin 20-month-old grandchildren. Barry is quick to admit, Diane’s work is far more stressful and tiring!

When they are not involved with their own business enterprises, attending to their volunteer work and spending time with family, Barry and Diane love to travel and try to enjoy two to three trips per year. Next up for 2018: Japan in the spring, Hawaii with family in June, and Myanmar in the fall.

Barry and Diane are faithful heroes who generously support the Rescue Mission Alliance Valley Food Bank. Kudos for all that you do in fighting hunger and feeding hope. In the words attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson in his poem on success: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” You two are truly successful.