Volunteer Spotlight: Sew Much Love

What happens when two wildly talented quilters team up for a cause? They create up to 80 unique, work-of-art quilts to donate to the Ronald McDonald House and Quilts of Valor every year.

Mary Sciabarra and Kathy Schrode discovered their mutual passion for quilting nearly 13 years ago and have been working together ever since. Mary dreams up the design and sews together hundreds of pieces to make the top of the quilt. Kathy does the backing and the quilting, an equally time-consuming and artistic part of the project.

“It’s an ideal partnership,” said Kathy. “We each have a job we love.” And they use their talents exclusively for the things that matter most in their lives – family and their two chosen nonprofits.

Mary and her husband, Joe, learned early about the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Their daughter, Christine, contracted botulism when she was three months old. They were living at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California and ended up spending more than a month at the Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles.

“We realized then that there are so many children who needed help and just developed a pay-it- forward mentality.”

Twice a year Mary and Kathy deliver a small mountain of quilts to be given to moms and kids at the Ronald McDonald House. The arrival of the quilts always causes quite a stir. Some of the quilts are themed around a children’s book or cartoon character. Some feature vivid colors and designs. Others are calm and serene. Each one is absolutely fabulous.

“When I give one of these special quilts to a mom who is going through a particularly tough time or a child who needs a little TLC, their eyes light up,” said Cheri Goldman, Director of House Operations. “Our families know for sure that these quilts are made with love.”

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We are eagerly awaiting the day we can open the doors of the Ronald McDonald House to friends like Mary and Kathy.

We appreciate your generosity and ask that you please hold on to any in-kind donations that you have for the House. We will let you know as soon as we are able to safely accept these types of donations.

If you are in a position to help, consider making a donation to keep families together while a child receives medical care far from home.

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