By Kelly Youngblood
It started as a Facebook post.
Linda Boller of Mahomet wrote a post about the “amazing, smiling woman at McDonald’s” who always had a kind word to share.
Soon, dozens of others were chiming in with similar experiences about the friendly employee who worked in the drive-through.
It wasn’t long before an event, “Giving Back to the ‘Nice Lady’ at Mahomet McDonald’s”, was planned and shared on Facebook.
The event was meant to be a surprise but you know how social media goes. The “nice lady” found out what her customers were up to and, as nice ladies tend to do, she shrugged off the compliments and said the attention was unnecessary.
But that’s not stopping anyone from shining a spotlight on Katrina Williams, a Mahomet McDonald’s employee for the last two years.
On May 15 and 16 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., her customers plan to stop by the McDonald’s drive-through and show their gratitude for her sunny disposition and positive demeanor with gift cards, flowers, thank-you notes, etc. (Currently, over 130 people have RSVP’d as “going” to the event.)
Williams, who is the mother of six children, admits she sometimes holds up the line because she’s talking to her customers for too long. But it’s worth it if she can brighten up their day.
“One smile can make somebody else smile and that can make somebody’s day,” Williams said. “I try to make a difference because maybe they’ll make a difference in somebody else’s life and it will spread.”
Williams said you never know what someone is going through so she does her best to be a bright spot in their day.
“Somebody needs to make them smile and make their feelings validated. That’s what I do; I just make somebody feel wanted, necessary, you know, happy.”