Can cookies make a difference? We think so.

Brad H. | Franchisee | Orange County, California, USA

Sometimes all it takes is a chocolate chip cookie to brighten someone’s day.
 

The pandemic has changed daily life for everyone, so we’re always looking for ways to bring a sense of normality and moments of joy to members of our community.

When we heard about a local boy with autism who relied on his daily McDonald’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, we saw an opportunity to help make someone’s day a little brighter.

Francine, a single mom, called our office on behalf of her son Logan, 18, who loves McDonald’s Chocolate Chip Cookies as part of his daily routine. During these uncertain times, Logan didn’t want to miss out on his day-to-day joy. Unfortunately, we had stopped selling the Chocolate Chip Cookies at our Southern California restaurants during the outbreak due to a limited menu.

“I know you might think it's crazy,” Francine said to our office manager, “but here’s the situation and I’m desperate to find these chocolate chip cookies if they exist anywhere.”

Once we heard Logan’s story and his love for these Chocolate Chip Cookies, it was a no-brainer. We contacted our supplier, Aryzta, and they jumped at the chance to help, too, sending a specially packaged case of the frozen cookies to one of our restaurants.

My brothers, Todd and David, and I delivered five dozen cookies to the family at their home, and when we learned they were using a toaster oven to bake the cookies because their oven was broken, we wanted to do more. The McDonald’s system pitched in to purchase and install a new oven so Francine and Logan could enjoy their cookies with ease.

Francine and Logan were blown away by the gesture. “With everything going on — the stay-at-home orders and stress levels getting higher — I was beyond shocked that someone who didn’t know me and had no reason to go out of his way for me did,” she told a reporter.

The epidemic might be the reason behind this specific request, but it had nothing to do with why my brothers and I acted – anytime we can help, we do. It’s who we are. Without that drive inside us to make the people around us better and the world around us better, we wouldn’t be McDonald’s franchisees.

At the most basic level, you never know what people are going through, or when you have a chance to help make someone’s day.

Also, people need to eat more cookies.