Donations to Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan
December 4, 2015
As you drive up the the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan this time of year, you see that it is beautifully decorated for Christmas. The inside is the same way. There was a Christmas tree, lighted Christmas village and more. It was a warm, gorgeous house that immediately made you feel at home.
We took the toiletry donations to the garage and placed them next to empty boxes of Christmas decorations. The staff would later put the toiletry baskets on a shelf in the house where guests could easily access them. Each basket was labeled by JoAnne Verboom, President of Great Lakes ASTA and her staff to make it easy for guests to find what they need. As I placed the toiletry items on the floor of the garage, the Ronald McDonald House lady got teary eyed while mentioning how appreciative the guests would be of the donations. Her words were, "Sometimes these guests come with nothing. And they leave with nothing."
Ronald McDonald Houses do their best to create a sense of home by providing a way for families to be together and be close to their child that is undergoing treatments at a nearby hospital. Yet as hard as they try, nothing will replace a families actual home. For their actual home is a place where their family is well, together, and whole.
I am proud that our travel agent family came together to provide small basic needs for these families that are struggling. As we embark on the Holiday Season of 2015, please know that you have made a difference. I have spent every single holiday (except Thanksgiving), birthday and anniversary in a hospital setting at one point or another. It is these small gestures from caring people and basic necessities being met that give you hope for a brighter tomorrow.
As you drive up the the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan this time of year, you see that it is beautifully decorated for Christmas. The inside is the same way. There was a Christmas tree, lighted Christmas village and more. It was a warm, gorgeous house that immediately made you feel at home.
We took the toiletry donations to the garage and placed them next to empty boxes of Christmas decorations. The staff would later put the toiletry baskets on a shelf in the house where guests could easily access them. Each basket was labeled by JoAnne Verboom, President of Great Lakes ASTA and her staff to make it easy for guests to find what they need. As I placed the toiletry items on the floor of the garage, the Ronald McDonald House lady got teary eyed while mentioning how appreciative the guests would be of the donations. Her words were, "Sometimes these guests come with nothing. And they leave with nothing."
Ronald McDonald Houses do their best to create a sense of home by providing a way for families to be together and be close to their child that is undergoing treatments at a nearby hospital. Yet as hard as they try, nothing will replace a families actual home. For their actual home is a place where their family is well, together, and whole.
I am proud that our travel agent family came together to provide small basic needs for these families that are struggling. As we embark on the Holiday Season of 2015, please know that you have made a difference. I have spent every single holiday (except Thanksgiving), birthday and anniversary in a hospital setting at one point or another. It is these small gestures from caring people and basic necessities being met that give you hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Donations to Ronald McDonald House of Detroit
Below are the pictures from the delivery of the toiletry and personal item donations to Ronald McDonald House of Detroit. They were delivered by our MI Vice President, Kathryn Ayala on October 16, 2015.
"The staff were incredibly appreciative. The lovely lady pushing the donations cart is Brenda. While I was there, I picked up the updated donations wish list. I also talked to the Executive Assistant, Linda, and she is going to send a formal acknowledgement and thank you to Great Lakes ASTA as well as the recognized value of the donations. The donations were valued at $1,500.00." ~ Kathryn Ayala
"The staff were incredibly appreciative. The lovely lady pushing the donations cart is Brenda. While I was there, I picked up the updated donations wish list. I also talked to the Executive Assistant, Linda, and she is going to send a formal acknowledgement and thank you to Great Lakes ASTA as well as the recognized value of the donations. The donations were valued at $1,500.00." ~ Kathryn Ayala