White Castle fed a homeless teen-years later she got married there

[Danmel]

Jamie West’s wedding day at a fast-food hamburger restaurant in Arizona earlier this month was a celebration she said she couldn’t have imagined when she was growing up.

In the 1990s as a homeless teen, West said, she didn’t dare to think beyond “getting through just one more day.”

She said she found hope, though, in an unlikely place, when an employee at a White Castle restaurant handed her several bags of free hamburger sliders after she asked for a glass of water.

“After that, whenever I was hungry, I knew where to go,” recalled West, now 41. “Every White Castle I went to treated me the same way. I’d come out from washing in their restroom and I’d find a big bag of sliders waiting for me.”

“It was a kindness I’ll never forget,” she said.
No paywall, I subscribe

https://wapo.st/43mZW1l

[Lovie777]

1. Kindness.................

and there are tons of stories like this one and yes social media coupled with corporate media plus hate media are louder, but every once in a while goodness goes rise.

[LoisB]

3. I still believe most people are kind, they just don't shout about it.

[malaise]

11. I more than believe -

I know - many people help others without a lot of noise

[LoisB]

16. I agree.

[Biophilic]

2. Way to go White Castle. What a great PR moment.

[bucolic_frolic]

31. Really. You couldn't buy that publicity and humanity with Billions. /nt

[underpants]

4. Great story. ❤️

[cate94]

5. Honestly makes me happy

And hungry for some sliders!

[Upthevibe]

6. Danmel.............

This is a beautiful story.

Thank you for posting.....

[Danmel]

7. I found it so moving

[iluvtennis]

8. Aww, who started cutting up onions. n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. White Castle did! Those little greasy onion bits that stick to the side of the box! Mmmmmmm

[PatSeg]

10. Such a wonderful story

And I love her dress!

That said, "94 foster homes"??? There is something seriously wrong with our system where so many children go through such a nightmare. We really need to reevaluate our child protection system. How can that be considered "child protection"?

[hay rick]

12. Sliders! My kind of feel good story.

Excuse me. I'll be back in a minute.

[LymphocyteLover]

13. OMG, what a beautiful story

[NNadir]

14. I haven't been to a White Castle in 40 years. It seems they have...

...an "Impossible" burger, one that is plant based. Although I'm not crazy for foods that are plant based but designed to taste like meat, occasionally I've found myself in situations requiring fast food where this is the only option.

From now on, whenever such an occasion arises and there's a choice, it's White Castle for me.

[AZ8theist]

18. it hasn't changed in 40 years.

The ONE THING I missed moving to Arizona from the east coast was the Castle.
Thankfully they finally built one here....

[MagickMuffin]

15. And a fairy tale wedding for a princess at White Castle

Sometimes fairy tales do come true. WTG White Castle

[Ms. Toad]

17. The Starbucks my daughter worked at for a year or two

did the same for a homeless man with at least one mental illness. Although he didn't sleep there, he was there most any time I dropped by - and all the staff interactions I witnessed seemed like good friends chatting.

[Wild blueberry]

19. Lovely story

Thank you.

[colorado_ufo]

20. How absolutely wonderful and beautiful!

This made my day!

[Grins]

21. "Over eight years, I was in and out of 94 foster homes..."

That’s almost a different home every MONTH!

[Jerry2144]

22. I love that individual people do this

I hate that our government even makes this necessary. I wish all could have a roof over their heads and nutritious food to fill their belly. Those should be met by government

[Blue Owl]

23. Good on them

i bet if you added up all the wasted food thrown away at America's FF chains, it would come close or even be enough to feed the homeless in our nation....

[Kali]

28. or from homes

we waste SO much food. it is sickening to me.

[GoodRaisin]

24. Cool story.

[calimary]

25. NICE! Makes me want to go find a White Castle's and order some sliders!

To go - so I can eat some right away and enjoy more of ‘em at home later!

I find my thinking “how can I help their business?” whenever I hear about a company that’s doing something right. Positive reinforcement never hurts!

[Pacifist Patriot]

26. I sooooo needed this today. Thank you!

[Kali]

27. I didn't know we even had White Castles here

edit...hmmm, there is one in Scottsdale that opened in 2019, and one was/is planned for Tempe, but doesn't seem to be open yet.

second edit...had to dig to find the explanation as it sure sounded like she grew up in AZ

She was 16 when, she said, she walked into a White Castle restaurant for a glass of water one day in one of the many nameless towns she’d wandered through. She does not remember exactly where she was, she said, but she believes she was in Kentucky or Tennessee.

[dalton99a]

29. Kick

[SWBTATTReg]

30. Kindness comes in many places, takes many shapes. What an awesome story.

[Emile]

32. Nice story!