Amid the season of goodwill, a McDonald's branch over in Stockport has announced plans to open on Christmas Day in order to feed the homeless and the lonely.
Kind-hearted staff members who work at the fast food joint in Merseyway Shopping Centre will be on hand to serve up bacon rolls and brews between 8am-9pm in the hope to make a difference to those who might not have anywhere to go over the festive period.
The generous gesture is in partnership with The Wellspring, a charity the Maccies branch has been working with for some time, says assistant manager Kevin Buckley.
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He said: "There's quite a large homeless population in the area. We have quite a good relationship with them, they come in for a brew and a chat.
"The team here wanted to make a difference, so did the franchisee Stuart Broadbelt, it was something we were all very passionate about and we decided a way of doing that was to open on Christmas Day."
Proving their drive to make a difference to those who need it the most, around 20 employees have signed up to come and help out on the day, as well as the relatives of staff members.
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Kevin added: "My wife is coming and so is our six-year-old daughter. We want to give it a bit more of a family feel, not just a bacon roll and a coffee.
"We will be there to have a chat with people and make them feel at home."
And if that doesn't warm the cockles of your heart, we don't know what will.
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In addition to helping the homeless community, the offer is extended to anyone who has no one to spend Christmas with.
Kevin said: "We've got a few regular customers who we see daily that we've invited to come down, and we are open to anyone else who is in need of a bit of company that day."
The Stockport eatery isn't the only one offering a helping hand, as a McDonald's in Ashton-under-Lyne town centre will also be serving up bacon butties and coffee to those in need.
And their workforce are just as willing to help out, with manager Jonathan Hinsley receiving a flurry of requests from staff members to open on Christmas day after doing the same last year.
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He said: "It's a great team here in Ashton, they're a real credit to me.
"It was their idea to do it again, I had about 12 staff come to me asking if we could open up for the homeless and it was something they really wanted to do."
Speaking about the previous year, Jonathan explained: "We had around a dozen people come into the restaurant for some company and something to eat.
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"We probably served around 50 in total - the rest of the food was packed up and sent over to Greystones.
"To us it's not just about feeding people, it's about giving something back. At this time of year, people in this sort of situation can feel isolated a little bit because they don't have anywhere to go.
"By giving them that interaction, someone to speak to, it can really help. We also want to try and get someone from Greystones down on the day to offer any support and advice to anyone who needs it."
Featured Image Credit: Kevin BuckleyTopics: Christmas, Homeless, McDonald's