Across the country, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on restaurants and small businesses, as well as medical workers on the forefront of combatting the virus. Dunkin’ franchisee, Erick Falting, saw the effects the pandemic was having on his Bossier City, Louisiana community, and knew he had to do something.
Falting launched a campaign, crowdfunding donations, as well as making his own donations, to purchase gift cards from local struggling restaurants. Falting then announced via social media, that anyone in the medical field who visited his Dunkin’ restaurant was welcome to come in and pick up a gift card as a thank you for their service.
“As the pandemic gained footing, I began to notice medical providers coming into our Dunkin’, tired, hungry, and defeated. I wanted to do something to lift their spirits, while also helping out our local restaurants and fellow small businesses,” said Falting. “We’re all in this together and it’s important, now more than ever, for folks to support one another.”
To date, Falting has raised over $4,000 in gift cards which were distributed to over 400 medical professionals locally. In addition to this gift card campaign, Falting has donated coffee and food to over a dozen medical facilities, grocery stores, fire stations, and schools across the Bossier City community.
Through funding provided by Dunkin’, its franchisees, and the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, hundreds of thousands of complimentary cups of coffee, donuts, Keurig® K-Cup pods, and Dunkin’ gift cards have been delivered to more than 300 hospitals and emergency sites, and counting. Let’s keep going. Want to thank a local hero for all that they do? Send them a Dunkin’ Gift Card at DunkinCoffeeBreak.com. For every card sent, Dunkin’ will donate $1, up to $100,000, to the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to support health and hunger relief for children in underserved communities. For more information on the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, please visit bringjoy.org.
DD Perks® members can kick off their Fourth of July celebrations early by earning 4X points (20 points per dollar rather than five) on all hot, iced and frozen drinks all day long on Friday, July 3. If you’re not already a DD Perks® member, signing up is easy. Join by downloading the Dunkin’ app on the App Store or Google Play.
Continue to stay informed on our response to COVID-19 here and follow the stories of how our Dunkin’ community is coming together to keep America running here.
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