MEET BENNY BARNES! Working to Help People in Every Step of His Life
Benny Barnes has been part of our team here at Janet Davis Cleaners for around 30 years. Benny has had a long career in the dry-cleaning business. Benny’s father owned a dry-cleaning business in Detroit from the late 1950s until the mid-1970s. Benny spent some of his time helping his dad, and afterward, working in the dry-cleaning industry until he eventually became a dry cleaner operator himself. Eventually, he sold his business and settled into semiretirement. Benny first started at Janet Davis Cleaners at its former location, in Dearborn, Michigan. “I worked with Dave Matthews, Kyle’s father, and the late Mr. Matthews,” Benny remembers. “I was with them for around 12 years.” But this wasn’t to be Benny’s only time with the company. “Around 4–5 years ago, Dave contacted me and asked me if I knew any good dry cleaners. When I told him I didn’t, he asked what I was doing. At the time, I was semiretired, outside of doing my full-time pastoring at the church. But we got to talking, and I’ve been working here ever since.” Having been in the dry-cleaning industry so long, Benny says he enjoys seeing the finished product. “I love the challenge of
trying to make something that doesn’t look like it’s supposed to into what it is supposed to look like.” And the experience and knowledge he has of this industry helps him achieve that goal for our customers.
When Benny isn’t working, he enjoys spending as much of his time as he can at home with his family. “I love being with family,” he says. “I’m a family guy and always have been. My kids are amazing, and I love my wife.” Benny also dedicates much of his free time as a full-time pastor, which he takes great fulfillment from. “It’s the pastor side of me that I think leads me to want to influence the work I do,” Benny adds. “If I can help someone gain success, I'm happy knowing that I did a little bit to get them where they wanted to go. This period of me working for Janet Davis is me wanting to help everyone here get to the next level of where they want the company to be. Whenever I leave, I’ll know I did something to help them get to where they want to.”
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Easy STUFFED SWEET POTATOES
recognized her as an adopter, thanked her for asking such a good question and for being a donor, and answered her question. It was something they didn’t have to do — a lot of people were on the call, mostly adults — but they did. It really helped reinforce her love for cheetahs and passion for adopting. That experience had a lifelong impact for her and also influenced her younger sister. My youngest daughter, seeing how enthusiastic her mom and older sister are about animals, has also expressed that she wants to adopt a giraffe, her favorite animal. We are currently researching different giraffe conservation organizations and will most likely gift her an annual sponsorship as well. My youngest loves to read about giraffes and their different prints. As a family, we are learning about them and the conservation efforts needed. I think it’s incredibly good for my daughters to become so passionate about giving back and doing something for the benefit of others. I’m proud to see how excited they are about supporting the animals they love, having a passion and seeing how an animal can make a difference. –Kyle Matthews
INGREDIENTS
• 4 medium sweet potatoes • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed • 2 medium tomatoes, diced • 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp coriander • 3/4 tsp salt • 1/4 cup sour cream • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. With a fork, prick each sweet potato a few times. Microwave the potatoes on high 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through. 2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt. When the potatoes are done, microwave the mixture on high for 2–3 minutes. 3. Cool potatoes slightly, then cut each potato open lengthwise. Pull the halves apart to create space to spoon the warm bean salsa inside. 4. Add a scoop of sour cream to each potato, garnish with cilantro, and serve!
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