In 2007, Sarah was taking a high school government class. One of the requirements was to serve 15 volunteer hours at a local organization. She immediately thought of the Ronald McDonald House.

“I was in and out of the hospital a lot when I was young,” she recalls. Sarah was born without a hip socket and suffered from migraines caused by Chiari malformation. Most of her childhood was spent at the doctors for checkups, MRIs and surgeries to fix her bones and nerves.

“We never got to use a Ronald McDonald House – they didn’t have them on military bases – but I understood how much of a difference they can make for families like mine.”

Back then, we were still located at our old House on Speedway Boulevard. Her shifts largely consisted of housekeeping. She’d arrive at the House and immediately check the rooms to make sure they were clean and ready for guests. Two months later, we opened our current House and Sarah followed.

“I love talking about how much the House has changed. Going from 5 rooms and 2 shared bathrooms to 27 rooms each with a private bathroom. It’s amazing.”

Sarah couldn’t bring herself to leave after finishing the hours required by her class. She continued volunteering throughout college and while student teaching. Today she works as a third-grade teacher at Roadrunner Elementary.

“I’m a big believer in relationships. It’s my first priority with my students because without that then we couldn’t learn from each other. I apply that philosophy to the House, too. We get to invest in each other’s lives and be a community.”

She shines at making connections with the kids who stay at the House, perhaps because she can sympathize with how they’re feeling.

“A lot of it is scary,” said Sarah about childhood illness. “You’re not in control. Even though the decisions being made on your behalf are in your best interest, it’s scary. You need to have a support system to get through that. As a volunteer, I get to build those relationships which is my favorite thing about being here.”

When asked about one of her favorite memories, she brought up Mason, a boy who stayed at the House while undergoing chemotherapy. “He would run through the front doors of the House and yell, ‘Everyone! My best friend Sarah is here!’ How can you not love getting greeted like that?”

Over the years, she’s introduced friends and family to the House, bringing them in to cook a meal or deck the halls at Christmastime. “They look forward to it and I love sharing this with them.”

Sarah’s come a long way since that high school class, but without those 15 hours of service, she wouldn’t have discovered just how much love she has for our Ronald McDonald House. And that’s how 15 hours of community service turned into 15 years of volunteerism.