Thomas Breen photo
McDonald’s crew member Angela Byers preps Clyburn for evening shift.
Newhallville Alder Delphine Clyburn put aside passing laws for the night in favor of passing quarter-pounders with cheese — for a cause.
Clyburn honed those food and customer service skills Wednesday night alongside a dozen of her Board of Alders colleagues, not at City Hall, but at the McDonald’s at 250 Whalley Ave.
Alders Jody Ortiz, Kim Edwards, Dolores Colon, Michelle Sepulveda, Gerald Antunes, Clyburn, and McDonald’s Area Supervisor Sara Amato.
Alder Jose Crespo, Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, former alder and current State Rep. Al Paolillo, Jr., and Clyburn.
Donning big smiles and blue sashes with “Board of Alders” written in gold lettering, Clyburn and fellow alders took dinner orders, bagged to-go meals, and delivered trays of burgers and fries directly to customers and tables as part of a one-night-only Black and Hispanic Caucus fundraiser.
Fifteen percent of the night’s indoor and drive-thru sales proceeds were donated to the caucus, which in turn plans to donate those dollars to local youth programs, scholarship funds, and senior centers, just as it does with the money raised from its annual black-tie gala in Morris Cove.
A state group-home employee by day who was recently reelected to her fifth term representing Ward 20 on the Board of Alders, Clyburn said that she has never had a job in food service.
But ever since she was little, she always wanted to work in a McDonald’s.
“It seemed like a happy place where kids want to come,” she said. “This is a dream for me.”
Seeing an open spot behind the check-out counter near the door, Clyburn popped alongside McDonald’s crew member Jaidyn Gambrell (pictured above). She said she couldn’t wait to send the photo to her son. “I’m finally at McDonald’s,” she said.
The alders weren’t there just for photo ops. They were also there to work.
McDonald’s staffer Angela Byers laid out Clyburn’s evening shift instructions: To greet customers as they came through the front door, and to help them navigate the electronic touch-screen menu, where they could place and pay for their order without having to go up to the check-out counter.
Soon enough, Clyburn found herself at work — helping Alex Malpica, his daughter Yarelyz, and his son Raul click and swipe through the oversize digital menu.
Seeing how Raul already knew how to work the device — and knew exactly what he wanted, a quarter-pounder with cheese — Clyburn took a step back and let the McDonald’s regular place his order.
The Malpicas then took a seat in a booth towards the back of the restaurant, where a DJ was setting up speakers and a turntable, preparing to turn the fast-food fundraiser into an evening party.
Clyburn waited by the take-out counter until she heard a McDonald’s staffer ring up order number 369 — the Malpicas’ order. She walked the food over to the center booth, balancing the brown plastic tray in her hands, and laid down the fast food feast before Raul.
With a smile and a wave, Clyburn turned and headed back to the front of the restaurant, waiting for a new family of customers to help.
As she left, Raul opened the paper container and peeked in to make sure this first-time server got his order …
… a quarter-pounder with cheese, just as he ordered.
Donning big smiles and blue sashes with "Board of Alders" written in gold lettering, Clyburn and fellow alders took dinner orders, bagged to-go meals, and delivered trays of burgers and fries directly to customers and tables as part of a one-night-only Black and Hispanic Caucus fundraiser.But ever since she was little, she always wanted to work in a McDonald's."It seemed like a happy place where kids want to come," she said. "This is a dream for me."Soon enough, Clyburn found herself at work—helping Alex Malpica, his daughter Yarelyz, and his son Raul click and swipe through the oversize digital menu.
McDonald's AKA MC Death.Are your kidding.Filled with fat and sugar, fast food is contributing greatly to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.In fact fast food did not just find its way to low-income urban areas: It was brought there by the federal government.
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FAST FOOD IN POOR URBAN AREAS?
A new book offers an answer, implicating government programs originally designed to encourage entrepreneurship and development.
https://psmag.com/news/why-is-there-so-much-fast-food-in-poor-urban-areas
Fast Food is genocide.Go Vegan!!!!
Alder Jose Crespo, Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers, former alder and current State Rep. Al Paolillo, Jr., and Clyburn.
I still trying to Figure is State Rep. Al Paolillo, Jr. Boricua?