The house that Ronald built.

I know what you are thinking golden arches, Big Mac, billions and billions served, why would I write about that fast food restaurant.  Well this is actually about the other enterprise that the McDonald's name is associated with - the Ronald McDonald House.  Last night, I joined Kelsey and the other members of the Hereford Middle School SAAD club at the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore to make dinner for the guests.  I thought that this would be a great experience for the other kids and so I brought them along as well.

It was a lot of fun preparing tacos, a weekly meal for the Brush family, for the families staying at the home.  The kids had a great time helping out and hopefully, more importantly, they learned a little about giving back.  I also got a chance to learn more about the organization and the great work they perform.  (If you want to learn more about it, check out their webpage.)  They provide room and board for children and their families while they are seeking medical care at hospitals away from home.

I had the opportunty to chat a little with a mother staying there with her daughter.  She was so appreciative of the meal.  They were from North Carolina and have been at the facility a number of times, usually for a day or two.  This visit they were trying some more agressive treatment and were planning to be there for eight weeks.  I could not believe it, eight weeks away from home.  I could only imagine what that would cost if they had to stay in a hotel, which very few families could afford.  The Baltimore facility is great becuase it has a wonderful group of volunteers that usually provide meals for the families.  She was telling me that trying to keep these special needs kids busy while they fix a meal is a challenge.  Also having others around kids around was great for these families.

Hopefully, my kids learned a little about giving back and also how fortunate they are to be healthy.  Our hope is that as a family we can go a prepare a meal for the families.  Not only would it be a fun family activity, but it would also be an easy way for us to give back.  It also made me feel a little better about the money that I have spent at McDonalds over the years, knowing that some of the proceeds have gone to help others.  We should all remember that as the weather turns frigid in the northeast, that they are plenty of people who are less fortunate and can use our help.