VETERANS HONORED AT ANNUAL BLACK MCDONALD’S TURKEY GIVEAWAY

The Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicago & Northwest Indiana will sponsor its 19th Annual Food for the Body & Spirit turkey giveaway event from Nov. 20 to Nov. 23 at four different McDonald’s restaurants. Photo credit: By Wendell Hutson
The Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicago & Northwest Indiana will sponsor its 19th Annual Food for the Body & Spirit turkey giveaway event from Nov. 20 to Nov. 23 at four different McDonald’s restaurants. Photo credit: By Wendell Hutson

Veterans Honored at Annual Black McDonald’s Turkey Giveaway

BY WENDELL HUTSON

Contributing Writer

Military veterans will be honored this week at the 19th Annual Food for the Body & Spirit event sponsored by the Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

As a way to thank veterans for their service, McDonald’s will offer them a free cup of coffee daily from Nov. 20 to Dec. 31, and a priority line will be available to veterans at their four-day turkey giveaway from Nov. 20 to Nov. 23 at four different McDonald’s restaurants. Veterans should bring proof of their military service in order to receive a McDonald’s loyalty card that will allow them to receive their free cup of coffee.

Turkeys will be given away at the following McDonald’s starting at 7 a.m. until lasting supplies are gone on Nov. 20, 6560 S. Stony Island Ave; Nov. 21 at 9560 S. Halsted St.; Nov. 22 at 3200 W. Roosevelt Road; and Nov. 23 at 3630 169th St. in Hammond, IN.

“Food for the Body Spirit was birthed out of our desire to help communities in Chicago and Northwest Indiana most effected by unemployment and poverty,” said Doris Boulrece, chairman of the BMOA’s Food for the Body & Spirit program and a McDonald’s owner. “This is why every year we host the giveaways at our restaurant locations in the communities with the most need. We love our customers and ultimately hope that this effort provides some inspiration for their lives, no matter how big or small.”

She added that BMOA expects to distribute 2,000 turkeys along with baskets filled with side items like canned goods and a small bag of potatoes.

Military veterans like Grover Smith, 66, said he plans to attend the Nov. 20 turkey giveaway since he lives around the corner from McDonald’s on south Stony Island Avenue.

“I live at 66th and Stony Island, literally walking distance from McDonald’s. I could use a turkey and some trimmings to go along with it,” he said. “I am on a fixed income and after I pay my rent, I don’t have much left for anything else. McDonald’s has always been good to seniors and to vets and that’s why I always go there to eat.”

McDonald’s officials said turkey giveaways are a priority for them because masses of low-income households are on the rise in minority communities whether it’s a single mother or a veteran.

“As unemployment numbers in many urban areas hit record highs, it is critical that the Black McDonald’s Operators Association be at the forefront of helping those who have been effected by unfortunate hardships this holiday season,” added Boulrece.

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