By: Amy Smith, Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio and I’m honored to be working alongside them. I started my journey as a volunteer purely to feel closer to a place that had given my family so much.
At 11 years old, my cousin stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Dayton on and off for two years. They were able to give my aunt a place to stay and be close to her son. After a LONG two years, my cousin was healthy and no longer had to stay at the Dayton house. My aunt always talked so highly of Ronald McDonald House and how hard the volunteers worked every day. Those words had always stuck with me. That’s why I decided to give of my time at the House in Columbus.
I started as a volunteer here at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the House. Volunteering gave me the chance to meet people from all different walks of life all working towards the same goal: making families feel as comfortable as possible. The house holds such a special place in my heart, I would always say I would do anything for the house.
After volunteering for some time, I was given the opportunity to become a coordinator for volunteers here at the place I love. I said I would do anything for the house, and this gave me the chance to use my skills to really do anything for this house. Since I stepped into this new role, I have a seen volunteers go the extra mile for our families and the house. They go above and beyond the call of duty and their passion for the house is like nothing I’ve seen before. Their passion drives my passion and I can never say “thank you” enough to them for all the hard work they do.