How it started…

My life has been filled with adventure, some I initiated and some I tried to avoid. Looking back, every adventure had a lesson for me. I learned what not to do many times. The ones I remember most vividly I try to replicate. When I was in high school I worked at a McDonald's. This location had quite a few homeless people in it on a daily basis. For some restaurant owners, this would have been a troublesome thing to deal with. To the owner and manager of this McDonald's, they were just people that needed a shelter and something to eat or drink. We cared for them just like any other customer; refilling their drink, talking with them, making sure they were fed when we could. On Thanksgiving day and Christmas day, the owner would open the restaurant, donate all the food, and have volunteers cook breakfast for anyone who came in. Instead of opening the register, he had donation boxes set out for payment. All the donations went to the local homeless shelter. This was my first experience helping people that were less fortunate than me. This way of reaching the community, that I got a first row seat at, in my early teens permanently changed me. I vividly remember giving up my Thanksgiving and Christmas morning to volunteer. The joy that it brought to everyone in that restaurant will forever stay with me.

Embrace your community. Be part of the joy.

Christmas dinner 2013.