David McMahon (left) delivers items to the homeless downtown

David McMahon (left) delivers items to the homeless downtown

You think you’re sweltering in this heat? Imagine being homeless.

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Lake Highlands resident David McMahon can’t do anything about the temperatures in Dallas, but he’s working hard to aid the needy. And he’s hoping you can help.

David formed a charity called Mama Chicken’s Kitchen, which delivers food, toiletries and other supplies to folks downtown who need them. The project is named for his mom, Jane “Mama Chicken” McMahon, who performed with David’s alter ego, “David Chicken.” The two travelled across the country, entertaining children before her death from lung cancer two years ago today, Aug. 10, 2014.

“She raised me to care for the less fortunate,” says David, “and encouraged me to help people whenever possible. We didn’t grow up with much money, so we came up with other ways to help people, primarily sharing extra food or supplies. I often went through downtown Dallas on my way to visit her and would drop off supplies to people down there in the process. She enjoyed hearing about the people and how much they appreciated anything we could provide. When she passed, my wife Sarah and I decided to start MCK officially and name it in her honor. MCK is an official non-profit, set up in Texas. One hundred percent of everything donated goes toward helping the homeless. Everyone involved does it purely on a volunteer basis.”

Mama Chicken’s Kitchen isn’t affiliated with a specific shelter, but they distribute items near The Bridge or wherever they see people in need. “When tent city was up, we made many runs down there,” David adds.

If you’d like to contribute, you can learn more on the MCK website here. Donations of fresh fruits, canned food, clothing, reusable bottles for water and Subway gift cards are specifically listed, but “anything that would help someone on the streets” will be gratefully accepted.

David McMahon as David Chicken

David McMahon as ‘David Chicken’

David continues to perform his children’s shows frequently around town, and he says that’s where many folks opt to bring items or host collection drives for MCK (he’ll be at NorthPark Center’s main indoor court Sept. 24 at 2pm). Lake Highlands neighbors, he says, are welcome to drop off items on his front porch at 10409 Royalwood. You can also watch the website and the Facebook page for updates.

LH resident and MCK volunteer Kim Lonergan, who recently helped deliver items with David, emailed her friends to say she’s hooked.

“Our run was simple – water, cokes, crackers, hotel bathroom amenities, old water bottles and back packs I cleared out of the kids’ closets. Everyone was so grateful and my closets were cleaned. A true win-win. I know we all have our favorite charities and are busy going every which way, but if you have any bags or items cluttering your closets, you can drop them off at my house, 10050 Caribou Trail. P.S. Anyone who would like to share in the joy of delivering the items, we would love to have you join us. The total trip took a little over an hour today. Things go quick!”

Grateful recipients of Mama Chicken's Kitchen care packages

Recipients of Mama Chicken’s Kitchen care packages

“One of our long-term goals,” adds David, “is to get local restaurants and grocery stores to donate food, be it specially prepared or leftover. It’s hard to convey the condition these people are in. I routinely see elderly, pregnant, poor health, malnourished people in extreme weather conditions. They welcome food, even if it is not pre-packaged. And therein lies one of the key points that we are trying to convey: Most businesses in the U.S., when asked about donating extra/leftover food, say they cannot due to fear of litigation. That contributes to our country trashing nearly 40 percent of our food supply. But there is federal legislation that protects them, the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. We have just begun contacting restaurants, informing them about this and offering to have volunteers pick up food once or twice a month. This is an area where we could use more volunteers.”