Faith in Humanity: Act of kindness by Chick-fil-A franchise owner goes viral
Jan 14, 2015, 3:09 AM | Updated: 3:14 am
A restaurant franchisee’s act of kindness for a homeless man was something the owner has done many times before — only this time, a customer’s photo caused the act to go viral.
Mark Meadows, who owns and operates a Chick-fil-A restaurant near Birmingham, Alabama, was caught in the act of giving food and a pair of gloves to a homeless man who appeared cold and hungry.
When the man came into the restaurant, Meadows promptly gave the man a free meal, as he’s done many times before — but on this cold January day, he went a step further.
Meadows also noticed that the man wasn’t wearing gloves and his hands appeared to be cold. On that day — Wednesday — Birmingham was experiencing a cold snap, with temperatures down to the upper 30s, according to AccuWeather.com.
The humble homeless man initially refused to take Meadows’ gloves, but he eventually placed them on his hands. They fit perfectly.
The story gained media attention when a customer posted a photo of Meadows’ generosity on Facebook. The photo was re-posted on Chick-fil-A’s corporate page and received nearly 80,000 likes as of Tuesday evening.
Meadows said he simply did what he instructs his employees to do: help anyone who comes in asking for assistance.
“I’ve given food and I’ve put gas in people’s car but I will not give them cash,” he said, describing the ways he’s helped out. “I draw the line at cash because I don’t know what’s going to happen with it … .”
