How one Chili's server keeps giving back throughout the year

Jess Hanlon has been a server at Chili’s in Wareham for three years and when customers with kids walk-in, they get more than just a meal.

“It’s hard sometimes as a single parent to have a dinner or get your kids to relax — so I do a toy box,” Hanlon said.

Throughout the year, Hanlon keeps a box of toys stocked in the restaurant and she lets kids choose one. During the holiday season, the toy box becomes “Santa’s box.”

“I pretend that I know Santa personally and he comes to me and asks me to find special kids and make them happy,” Hanlon said. “I give them tabletop games and anything for children to be able to interact with their parents.”

As a single mom, Hanlon said she understands how difficult parenthood can be and wants the families she serves to get a moment off.

She added while the kids are surprised when she brings the toy box to the table, it’s the parents who she gets more of a reaction from.

“I have people tell me ‘I’ve never had a server bring my child a toy’ and things like that,” she said. “I do it for those reactions and my hope is people pass it on and make someone else feel good.”

Throughout the years she said there is one reaction she’s gotten from a child that she still remembers.

“My favorite one was when a child told his mom that this was better than McDonalds,” Hanlon said. “I said we should make a commercial out of that.”

Hanlon has a 16-year-old son and a large part of why she started the toy box three years ago is to show him the importance of being kind to others.

“My biggest mission is to teach him it’s not what you are, it's who you are and to be nice for no reason,” she said.