If you had ever had the unpleasant experience of visiting Ronald McDonald House you were pleasantly surprised to find how helpful, encouraging and devoted the house is. And you also know "The House That Love Built."
This weekend my grandmother, mom, my girls and I took a trip to Indy to visit a place that is near and dear to our hearts. We went to the Ronald McDonald House at Riley Hospital. We spent some time there when my cousin Dylan was sick and I was blown away by the compassion that was shown to the families.
Each family that checks into a room at the house is welcomed with a smile, inspiring words and hot meals. A place to sleep outside of the hospital, to get a hot shower, and enjoy dinner that is served to you by volunteers. They get laundry facilities, a full kitchen and a place to relax. The house is beautiful with fire places, plasma televisions and sleep number beds. It's nicer than a three star hotel. In the evenings a company and it's employees will come in and cook a full meal and serve the families as they sit in a communal dinning area. Now as my mom and my aunt were served their dinner the first night; all they could do was bawl in amazement. They could finally take off their "strong" faces since someone was there to take care of them. How nice is that?
All of this is done and they simply ask for a ten dollar donation to the Ronald McDonald House. And if you can not make that; the donation it is waived; no questions asked. Talk about relief to the families. Because cancer doesn't just strike the well off. Because children of single moms need transplants, as well. Because some fathers are laid off or lost their job when they missed so many days to be with their sick child.
The house operates by donations. You know those little boxes at McDonald's? Yeah those provide the house. Pop tabs. That's right, the laundry facility. They also have what is called The Heart Wall. For a cheerful donation of 500 dollars you can purchase a red heart and decorate it in honor/in memory of anybody or an event (think a wedding, birthday, etc.) A very generous family member donated in Dylan's name and he now has a heart at Ronald McDonald House.
My grandma wanted to see the heart when she was in town for the weekend. So we took a little jaunt up there and took some pictures of the wall and other things from the house that had special meaning to us. On our way out of town we stopped at Cracker Barrel and had a late lunch before we headed home.
If you have never checked out everything Ronald McDonald House does for their families, please go to their site and read up. They are always looking for volunteers and donors. It can be as simple as bringing in a package of toilet paper or gathering your co-workers to supply and serve a meal in one of their kitchens that will serve four families. It is also a good character building experience for kids.
Now I misplaced my camera that day so I didn't get any pics of my own, so I played photog for Grandma with her camera. I wish I had because I would love to have my own memories of such a loving and special place.
Click the link and check out everything they do for these families being ripped apart by tragedy.
http://www.rmh-indiana.org/
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