Wendall Gill (85) has worked at his local Lexington, Ky. McDonalds for nearly 43 years.  Wendall and his wife Della (married 68 years) raised 5 children and have adopted two of their grandsons who have special needs.  Wendall is known as someone who always is upbeat and good natured, telling the Washington Post, “I don’t have to wear a name tag or anything”,  people just know Wendall.

In August tragedy hit the Gill family when Wendall’s wife suffered an aneurysm and died.  Since then Gill has been struggling to try and keep strong for his two grandsons, now adults and dependent upon him for support, as well as for himself.  Customers at the McDonalds began hearing about Wendall’s hardships but people weren’t sure what to do. Todd Oldfield had worked at the restaurant when he was a boy and came in for a breakfast sandwich one day and he unknowingly asked Wendall how he was doing?  Wendall began telling Todd his story.  “By the time he was done, I was torn up,” said Oldfield.  Todd decided then and there that he needed to do something to help.

Todd is a financial advisor and offered to step in to see how he could assist Wendall in making sense of his financial struggles and find a way to get aide to the Gill family.  He set up a Go Fund Me page titled “Wendall Needs Us to Serve Him Now!”  As of today the fund has successfully raised nearly half their desired amount, but much more is needed!

Seeing local community members like Todd Oldfield and others sharing their gifts and talents to assist a person in a great time of need brings me encouragement.  It is this act of showing PEACE which I love to shed light on in these posts.

Learn More and How You Can Help:

GO FUND ME page:  
https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-a-deserving-man

Washington Post / Allison Klein
Longtime McDonald’s worker faced hardship. Then customers stepped in: ‘Wendall Needs Us To Serve Him Now.’

Photos:
Family Picture shared in Washington Post by Bethany Gill