NASSAU, BAHAMAS — With frontline workers pushed to the limits during the COVID-19 crisis, one of The Bahamas’ most popular eateries is providing sizzling sustenance.
McDonald’s is dishing out 1,000 Be Our Guest coupons and healthcare workers are “lovin’ it”, according to Ministry of Health officials.
The ongoing effort to feed those taking care of others began in May.
Minister of Health Renward Wells said: “On behalf of all the healthcare workers, and especially those on the frontlines, we at the Ministry of Health are very grateful to McDonald’s for coming forward and offering 1,000 meals to those who have been working tirelessly since this pandemic began nearly one year ago.
“It has been a challenging year for all of us, but perhaps no group of people has experienced the continuing pressure more so than these frontline workers, so we are especially pleased that McDonald’s had the heart to reach out to the Ministry of Health with its generous offer to make these workers’ lives brighter.”
Recipients are able to redeem their coupons at any of the three McDonald’s locations on New Providence — Oakes Field, Downtown Nassau or Palmdale.
According to franchise holder Earla Bethel, the donation was a natural decision for a company closely affiliated with caring for the sick, the less advantaged and those in need during crisis.
“We like to remind ourselves that when we feed the body, we are also nourishing the soul,” said Bethel.
“When we look at how hard these frontline workers work, especially those who nurse the patients with COVID-19 and may be the last ones to see them alive, we are driven to do whatever we can to ease their emotional burden the best we can.
“If that means relieving them of the need to cook even one meal, we are grateful to be in a position to do that.”
The story of McDonald’s generosity, revealed by the Ministry of Health, unintentionally coincided with news of the death of Carleton Williams, a pioneer in the world of Black-owned businesses in The Bahamas who opened the country’s first McDonald’s in 1975. That gathering spot in Palmdale became an instant success.
Bethel bought the franchise from Williams in 1998, and he continued to mentor and guide her.
Bethel said: “He would have approved of this gesture to reward those who dedicate their lives to saving the lives of others.”
Williams died at home in Nassau February 7 at the age of 91. Tributes poured in for the man who was described as a “visionary who combined an uncommon skill for commerce with a deep respect for humankind”.
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