A Kentucky woman's attempt to do something nice on a hot summer day, buy a meal for an unhoused man sitting outside a McDonald's, became a troubling example of how corporate decisions can hit vulnerable people the hardest.
Resident Abby Welch said she and her boyfriend bought a meal and a cold drink for a man after seeing him shirtless and sweating outside a Lexington McDonald's. Only afterward, she said, did they find out he was not allowed inside the property.
Here's what to know
Welch wrote in a Facebook update about the experience that "I figured he would come in the McDonald's to cool down and enjoy his fresh meal. Come to find out they have banned him from the property for simply trying to cool down."
Welch's account involves the Lexington, Kentucky, McDonald's on Stanton Way.
She added, "How is our country going to get better if we treat the homeless this way? A multi million dollar company and you can't let someone cool off after being outside for who knows how long?"
Welch said she and her boyfriend had never spoken with the manager and did not know why the man had been banned or how long the restriction had been in place. McDonald's does not appear to publicly say whether people experiencing homelessness may stay inside its restaurants.
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The company says its locations are expected to provide a "safe, respectful and inclusive environment for customers," and its corporate materials refer to treating people with dignity, fairness, and respect, per The Mary Sue.
More background
Extreme heat can be especially dangerous for people without stable housing.
While many people can go indoors, turn on the air conditioning, or get water from their kitchens, people living outside often have to piece together relief from whatever public spaces are available.
That means access to restaurants, libraries, shelters, cooling centers, and other indoor spaces can become more than a matter of comfort; it can become a health issue.
Limited shade, long hours outdoors, and inconsistent access to water all raise the risk during hot weather.
Instead, a single business decision, whether formal or informal, can make life harder for someone who already has very few safe options. Unfortunately, this often makes private businesses the de facto gatekeepers to basic relief and protection from brutal heat.
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