McDonald's Workers Shelter More Than 50 People During Historic Buffalo Blizzard

June 4, 2024 Malorie Thompson

Buffalo is still recovering from the historic Christmas blizzard that swept through the area in late December.

According to CNN, people ventured out in the storm for various reasons and some didn't make it back alive. Others got stuck at work or trapped while driving home.

Photo: Flickr/Daniel Spiess License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Getting caught in a blizzard is no laughing matter, and it can be easy to become disoriented and lost even walking or driving short distances. It's something Jeffrey Spangler, Kristin Kosha, and Amanda Kendall all realized when they were closing up the McDonald's on Sweet Home Road in Amherst and noticed the weather starting to change drastically.

According to ABC 7 Buffalo, the employees realized it wasn't safe to drive home with the current weather conditions and made the difficult decision to stay at the restaurant until the snow let up.

Photo: Pexels/Sebastiaan Stam

"It wasn't safe to drive," Kosha told the outlet. "We had to make the right choice for us..."

Hopping on Facebook, Kosha made a post to let people know they were welcome to come to the McDonald's location if they needed to escape the winter weather. She wrote in the Buffalo Blizzard 2022 Facebook group, "Anyone stuck around Sheridan/Sweet Home area there's a few of us that didn't make it out in time - come to the McDonald's I'll let you in. I've got heat and I'll make some coffee. Bills game will be on later."

Photo: Flickr/Mike Mozart License: CC BY 2.0

According to ABC 7 Buffalo, it wasn't long after sharing the post that local police and fire crews started dropping stranded motorists off at the McDonald's location. In the end, around 50 people ended up finding shelter at the location, far exceeding Kosha's estimate of 10 to 15 people.

She told the outlet, "We fed them, had the coffee's going, hot chocolates. Saturday we had the Bills game on. They chatted amongst themselves, mingled and we kept them fed."

They took in people of all ages and walks of life, including a 7-month-old baby!

Photo: Flickr/Stock Catalog License: CC BY 2.0

"You don't really think about it at the time. It's just common sense. You do what you have to do. You have a warm building and no one is in it…why would you not open it up?" she added.

While local emergency efforts fell below expectations, it's nice to see how community members rallied together to help one another in a time of need.

Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

Country/region

Help Animals That Need Medical Care

Unique Quality Products

From exclusive pet-loving designs to hand-crafted artisan goods, our products are hand-picked for their superior quality and unique features.

Exceptional Value

We believe that shopping for good should be affordable and accessible to everyone, which is why we offer fair pricing and daily deals.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

With 20 years of extraordinary customer service and a stellar 4.8 ⭐ average rating, we stand by our process and your guaranteed satisfaction.

Every Purchase Gives Back

Every single purchase helps fund today’s most relevant and impactful causes so you can contribute to the causes you care about most, supporting people, pets, and the planet.

Join the Movement

Connect with millions of animal lovers and humanitarians that make up the GreaterGood community, and discover the power of collective impact. Together, we’ve raised over $80 million for charity and counting!