By Meika Willis
My experience with the House began when I volunteered with my work group. We split into two groups, half of us cleaned while the other half of our group baked treats for the families. I was on cleaning duty and loved it! We were given a tour of the House and right away, I was certain something special was going on within those walls! Shortly after that initial visit, I became a Housewarming volunteer on a recurring shift.
While I was pregnant with my second son I was offered a great position at Nationwide Children’s Hospital which impacted the amount of time I had to volunteer. Even when I was not volunteering on a regular basis, I knew my heart was still drawn to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, and I wanted to be a part of this extraordinary organization.
Since this past summer, I have been given the privilege of walking through our doors at 711 E. Livingston Avenue to serve our families and volunteers on a daily basis! I am able to connect on different levels with so many people of various walks of life. It is an honor to be able to serve and interact with our families and alongside our fantastic volunteers.
I am still in awe of how I feel when I am in the House and I know just how fortunate I am to have my dream job! For me, I have always felt something in the House that is so tangible I can reach out and wrap my arms around it. I now know it is the compassion and selflessness of our volunteers that envelopes our families and patients while they are coping with life altering events.