Restaurant server recognized for her contagious kindness

McCargar was nominated by one of those customers, Kendra Landis, who wrote that her dietary restrictions tend to annoy most restaurant workers — but not McCargar.

Landis dropped by McCargar's restaurant, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, 2906 N. Campbell Ave., in February for a quick dinner and was happy she did.

In her nomination, Landis wrote that McCargar "was the sweetest, most accommodating server I have ever come across," who asked her exactly what she needed and found the answers she didn't immediately have.

"I want to commend Missy on her friendly manner because she made me feel like a valued customer rather than a burden to the staff and restaurant," Landis wrote.

The Ben's Bells folks agreed with Landis and arranged to surprise McCargar with a bell on Thursday, thanks to a little help from her co-workers. One of them, Araceli Loss, called McCargar and told her she was short-staffed and needed her to go in for a few hours.

"So I got there and I expected her to be leaving," McCargar said later in the day. "But I come out and there's someone with a camera and someone with a bag to shake my hand, and I thought, 'Oh my God, what's going on?' "

Landis also was there. The pair got a chance to meet more formally afterward and even exchanged numbers.

"It was really nice to be able to meet her and she had the chance to thank me again," McCargar said.

"Really, the whole thing was a big surprise to me. I think kindness is just something people should do. It's kind of strange to me that I'm getting an award just for being kind."

But the bell was an honor, she said, and was especially sweet because it came just a day after her birthday, she said.

McCargar, who has worked at Rubio's since August and originally is from Santa Cruz, Calif., is a University of Arizona sophomore. She's taking a semester off to decide if she wants to switch her major from psychology to photography.

For now, she's happy at Rubio's and says it's easy to be nice to customers — well, almost all of them — because her co-workers are so great.

"I think because we all work so well together, the good attitude and good vibe rub off on the customers," she said. "And if I see someone in a sour mood, the least I can do is to help them leave with a smile."

ben's bellings

The Ben's Bells project began in March 2003, one year after Ben Maré Packard died of croup, just before his third birthday. His family hopes it reminds people to be kind, to help ease one another's pain.

The latest phase of the project began in September 2005, weekly "bellings" for those among us who make our community a better, kinder place to live.

If you know people who deserve a Ben's Bell, nominate them to be "belled." Go to www.929themountain.com/pages/jennie_itm.html and click on Ben's Bellings. To learn more about the project, go to www.bensbells.org, or help work on bells by dropping by the studio, 816 E. University Blvd., in Geronimo Plaza. It's open Friday 2-7 and Saturday 10-3.

And check the Star each Saturday to see the latest recipient.