Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter

HELENA – Several McDonald’s fast food restaurants, owned by Black Family Restaurants, across Shelby and Jefferson counties are providing meal vouchers to students on free or reduced meal plans to help during the coronavirus epidemic.

Many students rely on the meals provided by the school system to meet their nutritional needs. During this epidemic these students will be negatively impacted as the schools are planned to be closed through at least early April.

There are 11 total McDonald’s owned by Black Family Restaurants participating in a voucher program to provide a free happy meal to students in need.

These locations include: Helena, Academy Drive, Chelsea, Forestdale, Hueytown, Montevallo, Morgan Road, Valleydale, Vestavia, the Galleria and Highway 280 locations.

“The Black family is very involved in all of these communities and with all of these school systems. This is just a way to offer help and assistance and to continue serving these communities,” said Stephanie Roberts Drew, marketing director.

According to Drew, the company will provide vouchers to the schools, which will be redeemable for a free happy meal that will be specific to these locations. The school’s will then determine how the vouchers are distributed based on need.

“Black Family Restaurants are proud to serve in these communities and are willing to assist in any way,” Drew said.

She also expressed that if anyone was unable to travel to pick up the meals that they could contact her directly and that she would find assistance.

Drew can be reached by email at McdonaldsMeetingNeeds@gmail.com