The “Family” Room Volunteers

Years ago, one of Bill and Pat’s children needed serious medical care and they needed a place to go to rest and recover. At the time, the first Ronald McDonald Houses weren’t yet available as a “home away from home” for them. As they learned more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities over the years, they knew they could help others who found themselves needing the exact resources they had once sought. Now that they can help families who need a place to stay and can lend a friendly ear during a time of crisis, they do more than their fair share as volunteers for the Ronald McDonald Family Room and Caring Cart.

What could help signify family togetherness more than a retired husband and wife who finish each other’s sentences and volunteer alongside one another every week? Bill and Pat are one of our “RMHC ambassador” teams who spend every Tuesday and Friday morning greeting families at Banner Children’s – Diamond Children’s Medical Center.

This pair, whose generosity of spirit knows no bounds, have a few words for anyone considering becoming a volunteer:

“We volunteer at the Ronald McDonald Family Room as well as taking the Caring Cart to all the patient rooms and sharing snacks with the staff.

“Most of the patients and families we see are going through a very difficult period facing a serious illness or injury. Try to imagine how frightening it would be for a child to be away from home; in an unfamiliar place with strange people in uniforms, sticking and prodding them.

“We are able to give the family not just coffee and snacks in a home-like surrounding; but most importantly supporting words, a hug, or just a quiet place to regain their strength.

“If we can make a family’s experience a little more bearable, we have gained far more than we have given.”

Thank you to all of our Family Room and Caring Cart volunteers for the care you give to the thousands of visitors who walk through that house-shaped door each year.