A day of celebration, tacos and community spirit brought Shamrock Company team members together with Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley to recognize the organization’s work supporting children and families. As a recipient of a $20,000 community grant from the Taco Bell Foundation, Easterseals guests were honored with a special event featuring the debut of the foundation’s Taco Bell food truck!
Turning Round Up Into Real Support
Taco Bell Foundation’s community grants help support organizations making a difference in the lives of young people. Through the generosity of Taco Bell guests who choose to round up their balances at the register, these contributions help fund programs and organizations that strengthen communities. This was the most successful year to date, according to QSR Magazine, raising a record $32 million supporting 700 nonprofits nationwide!
“Every time that a guest says ‘yes,’ we make a difference in someone’s life.” – TJ Gorski, Shamrock Taco Bell VP of Operations
For us, the Easterseals celebration was an opportunity to see generosity in action and celebrate the people and organizations benefiting from it. The event also gave our team members the chance to step outside their day-to-day restaurant roles and give back in a hands-on way. Shamrock team members helped operate the food truck, serving tacos to the children and families who were present.
A Special Day for Team Shamrock
For Shamrock President and CEO Dan McGue, participating in community events like this is a meaningful way to bring our company’s mission to life.
The experience also helped connect the dots for team members between the work they do in restaurants and the broader purpose behind the Foundation’s giving. From supporting our Live Más Scholarship recipients to contributing to community organizations, these efforts demonstrate how everyday guest interactions can help create opportunities beyond the restaurant.
“To realize that they’re a part of something bigger, a community that not only we own restaurants in, but we work in and we live in … it’s really special to be a part of,” Dan shares.
Giving Back From the Heart
Our participation reflected the enthusiasm of a team eager to make a difference. According to Shamrock Taco Bell VP of Operations TJ Gorski, our crew stepped up with just two days’ notice!
“I have the best team in all of Taco Bell … [I’m] really, really proud of them,” TJ shares.
Ulises Hernandez, District Manager for Shamrock Taco Bell, shared that same spirit of gratitude and service.
“We are very happy because it’s a good feeling to give back to the community,” he says. “We’re doing this from the bottom of our hearts.”
The Easterseals celebration was a reminder that giving back is about more than a donation. It’s about showing up, lending a hand and helping organizations continue the work they do for children and families.
Congratulations to Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley on this well-deserved grant. We are proud to be part of a Taco Bell community that turns generosity into opportunity, one round-up dollar and taco at a time!