Blake Hall
A retired Marine collecting money for Toys for Tots at a local Walmart was asked by the store manager to follow corporate policy and solicit donations outside this weekend. Though the veteran did so without complaint, an image of him standing outside on a blustery, frigid day in uniform has swiftly gone viral.
The image above was originally posted to the Facebook profile of Janet Rodin, a Medina, Ohio resident, and has been shared 31,000 times. While the veteran featured in the photo remains unidentified, Rodin described buying the him a cup of coffee after seeing him standing alone in the bitter cold.
He was very gracious when I handed him the coffee and thanked me for my donation to Toys For Tots. We talked for a few minutes. That’s when I learned this 69 year old Veteran was not only standing outside out of dedication and honor. He was forced to stand out in the cold and rain because the new Walmart manager had decided that she could make him do it. It is ”Her store now.”
The image is evocative of the typical military veteran’s unwavering spirit and dedication to their cause, whether its defending our country or raising money for kids in need.
It is against Walmart corporate policy to allow charities to solicit customers from within its stores. According to locals, a prior manager of that Walmart location used to let veterans inside to get donations for Toys for Tots and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter. The new manager is once again upholding corporate policy and disallowing charities from entering the store.
Here’s Walmart’s official statement:
If a Marine or anyone was treated with disrespect, that is unacceptable and we are looking into this matter further to get the facts. Walmart’s corporate policy across our more than 4,500 stores does not allow this type of solicitation inside our stores and we apologize for any confusion about this policy. Most importantly, we are proud to support wonderful organizations like Toys for Tots, Girls and Boys Scouts, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross who are stationed outside our stores during the holidays and other times. Finally, Walmart’s support of our men and women in uniform both during active service and when they return home is a privilege that we strive to honor each day through our commitment to hiring hundreds of thousands of Veterans as well as the many charitable Veteran organizations we are proud to support.”
One Navy veteran raising money at that Walmart location told the local news that it wasn’t the corporate policy as much as the manager’s decision to keep them in the cold.
“The wind was just blasting me and I was freezing like crazy. I was even fortunate, a young lady bought me a blanket which was nice,” said U.S. Navy vet Dan Macik. “All we wanted was to come inside and get out of the wind and cold, and our papers were just flying. The thing that bothered us is that we do so much for the community and it was basically her decision.”