It’s the Little Things

We know from design blogs that it’s the little things that turn a house into a home.  But at the Ronald McDonald House, it’s not lamps and throw pillows – it’s kindness.

A couple was eating a late lunch in our kitchen and one of our volunteers, Judy Cathey, politely approached them and offered to make them a fresh cup of coffee.  Their eyes lit up and, “Yes, that would be nice.  Thank you.”  It was just coffee and they could have made it themselves but a bystander could see that it was not about the coffee. The family felt cared for.

Mikey, one of our longtime guests, had his heart set on attending a camp in Prescott for kids with cancer.  His only outings for months had been trips to the clinic at Banner Children’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center.  And he’d never been to camp before. But his doctor said he wasn’t able to go – his immune system wasn’t strong enough.  Overhearing this, one of our night managers, Bill Toogood, quietly stepped in.  He had a gift card for a movie and a meal at Roadhouse Cinema and before long, Mikey and his dad were watching Star Wars, eating hamburgers and having the time of their lives.

Yulissa is a young mom from Douglas, who had a very sick premature baby.  She stayed with us 101 nights while Emily grew from 1.5 pounds to 5 pounds.  All the while Yulissa was completing requirements for her high school diploma.  When she was asked to be the inspirational speaker at graduation, Cheri Goldman, our Director of House Operations, got to play fairy Godmother.  With the emergency fund our donors have created for our families, Cheri was able to offer her a gift card to buy a new dress for graduation – likely the first one she’d had in a long time.

Little acts of kindness and generosity help our families cope.  Your kindness and generosity support our families every day and we thank you.