Orlando Chick-Fil-A Workers Provide Food To Blood Donors On Sunday

In a response to the tragic shooting in an LGBT nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning, which left 49 dead and 53 wounded, workers at the Chick-fil-A in Orlando opened their kitchen and hearts last Sunday, providing free food for blood donors. It was an outpouring of support for the LGBT community, with which the Atlanta-based food chain has had strained relations.

Throughout its 70-year history, Chick-fil-A has closed its doors every Sunday, a policy started by the founder, Truett Cathy, who believed that his employees should be given Sunday as an opportunity to spend time with friends and family, or worship if they so chose. However, workers at the Orlando location spent their Sunday helping their grieving community, handing out sandwiches and iced tea to thousands waiting in line to donate blood.

The gesture is all the more touching given the nature of Chick-fil-A's relationship with the LGBT community. In 2012, CEO Dan Cathy spoke out against gay marriage, inciting a consumer-fueled backlash against the company. Since then, the company has been making amends with that community, with this gesture being the latest show of support.

"The events in Orlando stirred our local restaurant owners and their teams to band together to provide nourishment to first responders as well as volunteers who donated blood," company spokeswoman Carrie Kurlander said in a statement. Maybe more gestures like these can get the focus away from the Christian roots of Chick-fil-A and back on their mouth-watering chicken that we all know and love.