Rally for Shirkey: A Friend in Need

Hi everybody. My name is Chris and I’m looking to help my good friend Stephen Shirkey. Stephen and I have been friends since seventh grade, and we’ve been through a lot together. For more than 25 years, Stephen worked at Chilis in a number of roles. He started off as a server while in college. He caught the attention of regional leadership and eventually was promoted to a new store activation role. He was able to travel all over the country and the world to set up stores, established, best practices, and train staff.

After doing that for a number of years, he settled in Flagstaff, Arizona and was the general manager for the store in Flagstaff for years. He is well known and loved in that community. He led that store through the pandemic, created innovative ways to ensure that his team remain employed by converting to a well oiled to go operation. He was able to set up a ghost kitchen for other restaurants to use.

After years of working hard at that company, they made a decision to trim costs, and eliminated his position about a year or so ago.

Given that Flagstaff is a community very dependent on tourism, and the economic downturn, it’s been very difficult to find work that match up to the gifts that Shirkey has to offer. He has been able to find work, but the cost of living in Flagstaff is very high. He is facing some serious challenges to cover living expenses while he recalibrates his living situation. He does not have family to rely on and so I am asking the community and friends who have known Shirkey over the years to help him out.

All funds raised will go directly to Stephen.