About to take off on my final journey I am quite sad, actually. The whole experience as a McDonald’s All-Access Mom has been transformative, but not in any of the ways I expected. Sure – lots of questions have been answered, I’ve traipsed around farms and plants (check out the videos), and worn way too many un-sexy lab coats. But I also feel like a better mom. A better citizen. The corporate culture of McDonald’s and its suppliers is much friendlier – much more transparent, than I was expecting. After almost 6 years of momm-ing, I think I’ve gotten a bit too insular. Charity work had lapsed and a disconnection to the world and it’s news had set in. The opportunity to participate in the MAAM program has helped change that.
I am most excited about seeing the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Giving back. Sharing. Helping. These charities give homes and home cooked meals to families whose children are hospitalized with severe illness. I will be spending a full day with the children and families involved in the London, Ontario house, learning about the program and more importantly, the people. I hope that I can take the lessons of charity and giving back to my own children and incorporate them into our daily lives. I know there has been criticism of the All-Access-Mom program, but this is an opportunity to get a glimpse into something that nobody could say McDonald’s doesn’t do really well.
The second part of the trip? Chicken at the London, Ontario Cargill facility. Shall I cluck like when I moo-ed at the cows? Want to know the deal with the shaped McNuggets? (I already asked about chicken lips and toenails getting into the mix.) Nada. Any other questions? Reconstituted white meat? Glue? Sawdust? Last chance!!
I am very saddened to see how easy it is for you to sell your children out.
Regardless of how McDonald’s cloaks itself under the guise of corporate social responsibility, it is still contributing to the high levels of childhood (and adult) obesity worldwide. McDonalds also uses insidious marketing practices (of which you have now become a part…congratulations) to target children and get them hooked on chemical and trans-fat laden garbage food.
If you truly cared about the health of your children (and those impressionable mothers out there who take your advice) you would be visiting independent farmers who sell fresh fruits and vegetables directly to farmers markets and other local vendors, not schilling for McDonalds.
It`s disgusting how easily you and your fellow all access-moms are bought. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
[…] I know I will be back shortly. There is so much good that we can all do and when I visited the house in London, Ontario I realized what families with severely ill children might need. You can always drop the following […]
[…] bugged out at the stunning lobby displays. Then he saw the hand-painted cows used to fundraise for Ronald MacDonald House Charities, which UrbanMommies supports wholeheartedly. Moo-ing (of course) ensued and he was desperate to bid […]