Rudy Griffin

On May 5, 2020, at age 69, Rudy Griffin cooked meals for over 500 frontline hospital personnel. It was the biggest meal he’s ever cooked.

Mr. Griffin enjoys cooking. He’s not a gourmet chef, but he’s developed a real understanding of flavors and ingredients. He says, presented with a dish, he can generally reverse engineer it by taste alone. Of course, creating a great dish isn’t just about ingredients, it’s about layering those ingredients. It’s about timing and patience. It’s about learning from every meal he creates. “There’s really no recipe when you’re cooking in these quantities,” he says. “It takes experience.”

Mr. Griffin didn’t start cooking on this scale until after he retired. His granddaughter asked him to cook for her wedding. Since then he’s continued to develop his ability by cooking for church or school fundraisers and other causes. “I’ve got a talent for cooking,” he says, “and I use it to give back to the community.”

The Peoples Health Champions motto is “Excellence Through Experience.” We’re proud to honor Rudy Griffin for using his experience to nourish his community.