Hungry Heroes Founder Amanda Riggan

[00:00:02] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is the MESH.

[00:00:13] We know that barbecue brings people together and while we enjoy barbecue during times of

[00:00:18] joy and celebration, a plate of barbecue can be especially impactful during times of tragedy.

[00:00:27] Today we're introducing you to an organization that's created to provide barbecue when

[00:00:31] it's needed most. But before we meet Amanda Righen and Hungry Heroes, we want to take a

[00:00:37] moment to mention tragedy in the Charlotte community. This week in North Carolina, four

[00:00:44] law enforcement officers were gunned down while serving the communities they call home. According

[00:00:51] to news reports, a criminal with a high-powered rifle fired at least 100 rounds at officers

[00:00:58] who were serving arrest warrants on April 29th. Four officers were injured, four heroes were

[00:01:05] killed. US Deputy Marshal Tommy Weeks, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Iyer and

[00:01:12] North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections officers Sam Palosch and William Alden Elliott.

[00:01:19] Officer Elliott has ties to my own Hickory Metro community and he was a 1995 graduate

[00:01:25] of Newton-Goneover High School. All four men leave behind wives and children and we send

[00:01:31] our deepest condolences to the victims and everyone affected by this violent day in Charlotte's

[00:01:37] history. With this somber start, we turn to Amanda Righen. She founded Hungry Heroes

[00:01:44] following a similar incident in her own community. Amanda, welcome to the Low and

[00:01:49] Slow Barbecue Show. Hey, thank you for having me. We're glad to have you today and I guess

[00:01:55] let's just start by telling us what is Hungry Heroes and how did you get it started? Yeah,

[00:02:02] so Hungry Heroes started in 2018. There was an ambush similar to what you were just describing

[00:02:08] in Charlotte but Detective Mike Doty died and I was trying to figure out how I can give back

[00:02:14] and tangibly help. People were putting thin blue line flags on their house and blue light bulbs

[00:02:21] but I wanted to tangibly make a difference and so I started barbecuing just to heal York County.

[00:02:27] Yeah, so talking about barbecue and healing and we spoke a little bit about this, tell me

[00:02:34] about what you guys are working towards being involved in response to what happened in Charlotte.

[00:02:40] Right, so we cater in barbecue as a thank you for what you do for all first responding agencies,

[00:02:47] you know fire dispatch police but I have learned through the years of doing this that when a tragedy

[00:02:53] first happens a lot of times the agencies get flooded with love and overwhelming support and

[00:02:59] so the weeks and the months that follow is when they really need us. It's when people's

[00:03:04] lives kind of go back to somewhat normal and so for Charlotte right now I spoke with the

[00:03:10] helicopter pilot at CMPD yesterday and right now all we can do is pray for him but I know in

[00:03:16] the weeks to come will be there to serve a hot meal. Okay, so tell me about the Hungry Heroes

[00:03:22] experience when you guys show up and what can first responders and their families expect

[00:03:28] apart from that hot meal? Right, we just show up. They don't have to do anything except show up and

[00:03:38] it's my parents. We have 10 different crew members, five board members and we also have

[00:03:43] volunteers locally but we just set up and cater in pulled pork, slaw beans, banana pudding

[00:03:50] and it's usually the go-to meal, pulled pork goes the furthest and sometimes it's a sit down

[00:03:57] family atmosphere and sometimes you know these guys these men and women have calls in the middle of

[00:04:03] their dinner or their meal and so you kind of never know what you're going to get you know what I mean.

[00:04:09] So definitely with this impact in Charlotte and I know you're kind of on the periphery of Charlotte

[00:04:14] and really part of that community too in York County, how can people listening support your

[00:04:20] mission and not just help what's going on in Charlotte but help the other first responders

[00:04:25] that you guys support? Right, prayers obviously is huge for me and on social media we're Hungry Heroes

[00:04:35] Serves.org. You can donate there. We sell merch, hats and shirts like that but you can volunteer.

[00:04:42] There's a form on our website if you're local and you want to volunteer.

[00:04:47] We're just I started this to Hill York County in the Carolinas and then after all the

[00:04:52] support online we're nationwide now so just trying to hit as many communities as we can.

[00:04:59] Right and folks I assume can make donations there as well financially right?

[00:05:03] Right correct yeah. Yeah so how many events do you guys support each year?

[00:05:09] It's between 12 to 15. A lot of them are planned but sometimes you know a tragedy happens or

[00:05:17] an emergency happens that we're not ready for it. We have to be ready. I remember

[00:05:23] one of the most memorable events was when the condos collapsed in Surfside, Florida a few years ago

[00:05:31] and we got a phone call and flew out the next morning to serve first responders who were

[00:05:35] cleaning up the aftermath and so things like that aren't planned. Usually it's around 10 to 12

[00:05:43] maybe 15 events a year. Okay so you said you guys have been doing this since 2018. Can you estimate

[00:05:49] about how many people you've helped during that time? Yeah roughly 50, over 50,000. Wow yeah.

[00:06:01] Yeah I know over the past weekend you guys were involved with some veterans in a veterans

[00:06:06] event. Can you tell me a little bit about what you did? Yeah so we we partnered with the

[00:06:12] Independence Fund and they provide track chairs to amputee veterans and so every quarter we serve

[00:06:18] at the Charlotte VA Hospital and it's kind of a drive-thru type deal where the veterans

[00:06:25] line up and they come through the line and we serve them a hot barbecue lunch

[00:06:29] and the Independence Fund gives out home goods and honestly like that's one of my

[00:06:35] favorite events I look forward to. It just fills my heart because you can

[00:06:39] you can tell that the veterans coming through the line like really need this you know what I mean so

[00:06:45] it's it's touching you know the first time I served there at the VA there was an older gentleman

[00:06:52] there was a veteran came through the line and I remember I reached in like hey thank you for

[00:06:56] your service through his window and he looks back and he was like no thank you for your service

[00:07:02] and I'm like about to cry because here I am just barbecuing right and you've served our

[00:07:07] country so that means a lot. Yeah so what do you feel like has fueled the ongoing success for

[00:07:15] hungry heroes especially when you were really getting it started? Just the support and

[00:07:23] it's crazy because the year this started in 2018 and then I noticed in about 2019 that is

[00:07:30] when police brutality kind of ramped up you know our nation it was going through some hard

[00:07:35] times and it's kind of like I was prepared for what was to come but a lot of times people watching

[00:07:44] the news or they have family members that are military veterans or first responders don't know

[00:07:49] how to help and something as a simple meal whether you whether you call in a pizza or anything it's

[00:07:55] just the gesture of like hey we see you when we appreciate you goes a long way you know

[00:08:01] I'm definitely not a chef right? Yeah and that's I think especially impactful now and in this time

[00:08:08] here in Charlotte you know just letting these people know that we see them and are there

[00:08:12] into support in some kind of way. Now after you got started in 2018 I know that COVID-19

[00:08:18] kind of happened and and that really affected a lot of peoples how did it adapt or how did

[00:08:22] you guys respond and maybe pivot or you know how did you work through that scenario in 2020?

[00:08:30] Of course we had trips that we had to cancel but again we had to think outside of the box

[00:08:35] and so I started I started something called Stock the Fridge and so every week we'll choose a

[00:08:41] department to go to EMS, fire and police departments and just literally stop their

[00:08:46] break room and lunch room with you know necessities, Gatorade, snacks and then we

[00:08:52] also started campus heroes which were we would go and cater in a mill to the school

[00:08:57] officers at the elementary schools, high schools, colleges because they usually can't leave the

[00:09:03] campus to come where we are anyway so that was two ways that and we we continue to do both of those.

[00:09:10] Yeah fantastic so you know again we mentioned maybe some upcoming activities and support of

[00:09:15] the Charlotte and the police and first responders communities there outside of that what do you

[00:09:19] feel like is on the horizon? What's next for hungry heroes? Yeah so this year is a

[00:09:26] sustain and maintain year some years we've grown a lot and some years you know we're just

[00:09:31] maintaining and I feel like that's one of those. Some big news that I haven't really shared but

[00:09:36] we have a new mobile kitchen trailer being made right now in Nashville which is a game changer for us.

[00:09:44] My dream is to always roll up in New York on 9-11 and serve and so far I'm hoping that happens this year.

[00:09:52] Yeah cool fantastic so you know you're talking about getting a trailer and you get a mobile

[00:09:58] unit going I want to dip into Amanda's roots just a little bit and talk about you and tell me where

[00:10:03] are you from and how did you get this interest in cooking meat low and slow how did you get into

[00:10:08] doing barbecue? So I'm from here Rock Hill, York County, born and raised and so that's

[00:10:14] all the I've always been here. Growing up my dad was always grilling, smoking ribs,

[00:10:20] Boston blood, steaks. I think I ate steaks and potatoes my entire life until I was probably 15

[00:10:27] and could cook for myself but I literally just learned from him and then in 2017 at Christmas

[00:10:35] I got a new smoker and so I got a Traeger grill and that's all started it. Yeah so you mentioned

[00:10:44] your dad is some of the folks that have taught you anybody else that's been a

[00:10:48] guiding light for you in the barbecue room things people that you've learned from?

[00:10:54] Well I can't leave out my mom she worked in a deli bakery for like 43 years and she just

[00:11:00] retired so the whole like catering aspect like she chimes in for that um whatever since I started

[00:11:07] really getting into it on social media with the barbecue world um Chad Ward with Whiskey Bent

[00:11:12] is my boy. I call him anytime day or night and like hey what do I do here? Um Kendrick barbecue

[00:11:19] Benny Kendrick um he's one of my guys as well so and you know if I'm traveling and in their area

[00:11:25] that's the cool thing about the barbecue world like if I know I'm coming to your area

[00:11:29] hey man let's hit up the police department fire department and collab. That's that's one

[00:11:35] cool thing that's come out of all of this. Yeah fantastic making some relationships in that

[00:11:39] that barbecue community now you know see your traeger shirt and I know you got a traeger

[00:11:44] environment there that's your first thing tell me about your learning curve and jumping into

[00:11:48] something because the traeger is not really like a lot of other things how is your learning

[00:11:52] curve and your learning experience on using that type of equipment? Oh I mean it's kind of a

[00:12:00] set it and forget it type deli you know it's kind of you don't have to babysit it and now

[00:12:05] with like all of the technology and like wi-fi and stuff I know it's kind of a cheat method to

[00:12:11] some people but hey I'm not here to to be you know a pro pit master and was here to do what I can

[00:12:17] to to serve those in need you know. Yeah fantastic well you know let's talk about serving those folks

[00:12:23] in need you know what keeps you motivated to keep driving it and promoting it and growing and

[00:12:28] improving the hungry heroes organization? I think it's the relationships that I've built

[00:12:35] and actually if you think about it if I wasn't going to their agency or going out to them in the

[00:12:39] community and sitting down with them or making them a plate because sometimes I sit down with

[00:12:44] them and actually have a conversation like a family meal and like I hear these stories that I would

[00:12:49] have never heard. I hear them from within like in the department and their experiences and so

[00:12:56] just like that the example I gave you of that veteran like that's what keeps me going

[00:13:00] and when I first started this for a while I had really cool opportunities with

[00:13:05] celebrities or singers and stuff like that and I realized quickly that that's not what fills my cup

[00:13:13] at all and that's not why I'm here and so from the outside looking in those things I thought were

[00:13:19] cool it's it's not why I'm here to do this anymore you know what I mean. Yeah yeah so and

[00:13:26] I looked a little bit on your website and I'm going off script a little bit here but you know it seems

[00:13:31] like you've really kind of got a passion for a lifetime of service you know talk walking me through

[00:13:36] a little bit more about what that service has meant maybe before the hungry heroes what is

[00:13:41] how did you get started on that path? I don't really I got saved in 2013 and so my life

[00:13:50] drastically changed right I'm a Christian um and so it was like a day and night change

[00:13:55] and I started serving in the mission fields whenever to Ecuador, Ria Bamba, I had my daughter at a

[00:14:02] young age so I was able to take her to Ecuador and serve there and so I when I got back from there I

[00:14:09] just I'm a single mom so I worked Monday through Friday you know every day at FedEx delivery

[00:14:16] in Charlotte and then I just felt like I just felt like I wasn't moving my feet I want to

[00:14:21] serve I want to give back and so when this ambush happened and then I got this grill that like

[00:14:27] I remember I'd come home from work every day and just like stopping by like chicken or beef or just

[00:14:32] anything because I wanted to turn the smoker on right and I opened the fridge one day and I was

[00:14:37] like man it's only two of us here like I have all this food and that's what was laid on my

[00:14:41] heart like feed them just feed them and so like no matter what it is and if I'm if I'm traveling

[00:14:47] and something happens and I don't have my smoker or my things with me I'll cater in something else

[00:14:52] because at the end of the day it's not really about what I'm serving you right now it's just that we

[00:14:57] see you you know yeah yeah very cool so you're setting the charity work and then filling up that

[00:15:04] cup stuff aside what do you enjoy most about the barbecue life now I got to meet you at

[00:15:08] the Charlotte barbecue festival and that's a super event is it something like that or

[00:15:13] there are other things that you enjoy about the barbecue life I just I just like being outside

[00:15:19] I love the smell of the of the fire the wood burning and it brings everyone together whether

[00:15:26] you're with strangers or family it's just like the coolest hangout you know like even when I met

[00:15:31] you at the festival that was the first time we were there that was so cool like all these

[00:15:36] like minded people and they're all out to like help give advice throw together ideas

[00:15:43] and I remember when I first got on social media when I got into the barbecue world it's it's

[00:15:47] kind of like the Jeep club you know what I mean it's like just like a brotherhood of everybody

[00:15:53] and I know there's competition barbecue but in my experience these guys will give you

[00:15:59] the shirt off their back and and help you any way they can yeah cool you mentioned the

[00:16:04] social media aspect and I know you're involved in that how has social media been involved and

[00:16:10] how has it affected the success of the organization it's really like the new way to connect with

[00:16:17] people it's you know like I wasn't very big on social media before this but sidetrack 2019

[00:16:26] I had a I had a prayer video that went viral and so like that one video is what boosted hunger

[00:16:32] heroes nationwide and so without without social media or connecting with people online we would

[00:16:39] probably still just be serving in the carolinas you know yeah very cool so you talked a little bit

[00:16:45] about your fire but both personally and in the cook cook the cook fire that you got there on

[00:16:51] trigger you know what do you prefer to use in terms of your wood or your pellets what do

[00:16:57] you like to cook on on your trigger usually apple and hickory but I will tell you funny thing when I

[00:17:03] first got the grill I was making cookies like dessert cookies on the on the trigger just to try

[00:17:10] something new I didn't I didn't I didn't know I had mesquite pellets in the hopper and those

[00:17:16] things tasted like bark it was like a fence post yeah yeah exactly so like I'm always like we'll

[00:17:26] just put some apple or cherry or hickory in there because I learned my lesson on the mesquite yeah

[00:17:32] the mesquite the mesquite definitely is super strong but what do you feel about the hickory or

[00:17:36] the apple and I mean are you still cooking cookies on on the thing with your your hickory I mean

[00:17:43] when I first got the grill I was doing a bunch of different stuff I did like

[00:17:46] dump cakes and apple pies and muffins because the triggers I mean it's kind of like you

[00:17:52] set it forget it you can use it the same as your oven so it's definitely not like an offset smoker

[00:17:58] but yeah I was just trying to do things that are different plus having to post on social media I get

[00:18:03] so tired of pulled pork barbecue like barbecue show you can't say that

[00:18:11] I love barbecue and I love beef ribs but I just get tired of pork

[00:18:17] you know it's easy to do if you eat it every day I guess so you know how do you feel like

[00:18:22] what you're preparing there on the trigger and what you guys are putting out and understanding

[00:18:26] you kind of get it catered in and you get some help out there but how do you feel like what

[00:18:29] you guys are doing is is compares to what other barbecue charities and businesses are doing out

[00:18:34] in the world I really don't know personally any charities that do kind of the same thing

[00:18:41] you know I'm friends with a few people that help with after disasters

[00:18:46] but I really I don't really know I don't really know anyone else that's kind of in the same lane

[00:18:54] you know what I mean right yeah folks like Operation Barbecue kind of serving wholesale

[00:19:00] disaster relief yeah the first responders the military as well as everybody and we know

[00:19:05] they're in Oklahoma and Nebraska this week responding there but you guys are really

[00:19:10] more specifically geared toward that first responder community right right yeah we cook

[00:19:16] with Stan and the Operation Barbecue relief at the festival also people um so much help

[00:19:23] and I know they they cook whatever they can get donated and sponsored in so like

[00:19:28] I would learn a lot just by cooking with them because it's a whole different menu every time

[00:19:33] which I think is awesome yeah so whatever they get they're cooking it up so let's talk a little

[00:19:37] more about the barbecue what is your favorite thing to cook on your tracker?

[00:19:43] Dino beef ribs oh yeah because I mean I don't know you can attest to this but it's hard to find

[00:19:50] like beef ribs and like tri tip in the Carolinas so if I get my hands on some beef ribs yeah that's

[00:19:59] you know it's funny I buy my dad a case of beef ribs every like birthday and Christmas

[00:20:03] and Father's Day because you can't find them here yeah and now do you have to cook it up for him

[00:20:09] or does he want to do it or do y'all split the case and and somebody do each?

[00:20:14] Wait he like he has his own grill so he has his own triggers and stuff um yeah I've learned from

[00:20:22] him but um yeah he cooks them up but he won't tell you he's making them though so you won't know

[00:20:27] so he's not sure yeah he won't post it on social media like I will

[00:20:34] do you have a favorite style of barbecue we know you're tired of pulled pork but you know outside

[00:20:39] the ribs is there a style that you like? Carolina Carolina style I'm not tired of pulled pork I just

[00:20:45] have to give you a hard time um but like vinegar base oh my gosh Carolina vinegar base even

[00:20:52] mustard base we make our own sauce it's kind of like a vinegar and mustard base together okay um

[00:21:00] but the Carolina like I like vinegar based sauce like I could take a shot of it is so good

[00:21:06] yeah hey there's nothing wrong with that that vinegar cleans you out

[00:21:10] too right now do you have a favorite barbecue restaurant that you found first you know

[00:21:14] on a national scale and then in your local community?

[00:21:18] um Terry Blacks in Austin, Austin Texas is one of my favorites every time I'm flying into

[00:21:27] Austin we go there I don't know about locally I think because if I'm gonna eat barbecue like

[00:21:35] we're gonna be making it you know what I mean? Yeah yeah that makes sense I mean sweet lose

[00:21:40] sweet loses you know is awesome yeah he's great in Charlotte in the Charlotte area you can

[00:21:46] go south and see Robbie down there at City Limits that's a place I've been trying to get to as well

[00:21:50] but that's a little bit further on down 77 from where you're at right right yeah Amanda you've been so

[00:21:57] generous with your time really appreciate you tell everybody again how folks can find out about

[00:22:02] hungry heroes and if they want to donate or get involved how can they do that? Okay um hungry

[00:22:08] heroes serves dot org and you can there's a form where you can actually volunteer there's

[00:22:13] a donation form there's merch um we're on Instagram Facebook and TikTok hungry heroes or Amanda Righan

[00:22:23] reach out any way you can and you know what a lot of companies just to throw this out there like a

[00:22:27] lot of companies let their employees serve on company time so when we have the event like at the VA

[00:22:33] and stuff we'll have different companies come out as a group and serve with us yeah fantastic idea

[00:22:41] you've been listening to the Low and Slow barbecue show on the mesh dot tv network of podcast

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[00:22:52] can hear other podcast episodes featuring the carolina's great pitmasters if you like what

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[00:23:08] special thanks to you Amanda founder of hunger heroes thanks so much for joining our program today

[00:23:14] thank you thanks as well to our producer andrew moves and the whole team at the mesh dot tv network

[00:23:21] of podcast most especially thank you for listening to the Low and Slow barbecue show

[00:23:26] remember for the best barbecue and the best barbecue podcast make it low and slow you've

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