A McMuffin wish for happiness

Mahomet is a small town (7,000) in east central Illinois. Locals and visitors rave about the food at the locally-owned  Henhouse Restaurant, but it's not the only eatery in town. There's also a McDonalds. And not just any McDonalds. Can you imagine entering the drive-through to place your order from your car and having someone recognize your voice over the intercom? That would be Trina Williams. She's been chatting up customers for about two years. "She's the nicest person I've ever met," says manager Heather Dick. She knows something about everyone who comes in -- maybe their kids, or their job, or what they're going to order.

"Trina can make your day," says one regular. "You only see her a few seconds, but she's always like "keep that smile' or "you're beautiful' or "I love your new hair color.'" Finally a handful of regulars decided to do something nice for Trina. Maybe buy her some flowers. Then they learned she lives in a motel and is helping support six kids while saving for an apartment. They quickly raised $1,000 for her and set a goal of $5,000.  Later this month they set aside a day when everyone at the drive-through can give Trina flowers and gift cards. How did she respond? "Don't get me wrong," she said, "I do need what they're offering, but that's not what I asked for. I want you to come through the drive-through. I want you to smile!"