Donor Profile: Cheerful Heart operates totally on donations. This is the first in a series of profiles of donors who have made sizable donations to Cheerful Heart. When deciding to feature donors in the newsletter, Marcia Richwine Moen seemed like a good place to begin.
Marcia Richwine Moen |
family members have been diagnosed with cancer, proving fatal for two.
In 2010 Marcia started the Bernie Berger Fund in honor of her brother Shane whose nickname was “Bernie Burger.” With the purchase of a Bernie Burger, a cheese deluxe with ham, a portion of the sale is dropped into a bag. At the end of the year whatever is in the bag is donated to the American Cancer Society, or to community members who are currently fighting cancer or to a family affected by cancer.
A variety of Marcia quotes perfectly describe how she lives her life… “My job is be a servant by being a helping hand … Our job as human beings is to take care of one another. If I can help someone in need monetarily then that’s what I’m here for… It’s important to take care of the people who take care of you. Everyday is a gift … unwrap it. I am blessed that I GET to come to work at my family’s restaurant .”
Marcia imbues the Richwine spirit of working hard, being loyal to family and community, showing empathy and kindness to all. She believes that being a role model and teaching young employees a strong work ethic and good customer skills will help them lead a successful life. It seems that everything Marcia does is based on “what can I do to make a difference.”
Marcia’s parents Enoch and Lucy Richwine purchased a small burger hut in 1962 when Marcia was born premature and the family incurred huge medical bills. Enoch bought the property that it currently sits on in 1965. The Richwine’s had four kids, three boys, Mason, Corey and Shane, and one daughter, Marcia. The entire family worked at Burgerville. Enoch retired in 1985 and Lucy in 1989 but both kept their fingers in the business. Shane took over in 1989 until his death in 2009. Marcia retired from her job as a district manager for Western Montana H&R Block after 26 years to take over when Shane needed help during his cancer struggle. Marcia began operating Burgerville in 2010.
It was Marcia’s goal to keep the restaurant in the family which allowed her mother to keep coming in until she passed. Family members have continued to step up but as of yet no one is willing or able to give themselves to the tough job of keeping Burgerville thriving. Another Marcia quote in a recent feature article: “As much as I love this place, and am so emotionally attached to it, and would love to operate it until the day I die, my body is tired.”