Ronald McDonald House or Bust!!!

 
Our Club has a long history of support for the Ronald McDonald House in Temple, Texas.  On April 22, 2017 a hardy band of Temple Rotarians gathered at the Ronald McDonald House as part of our DAP Grant.  The goal was to mount flat screen television sets in open rooms. Mount curtain rod brackets and curtains.  Place floor mats, lamps, and welcome packets in rooms. 
 
If you ever wondered how important the Ronald McDonald House is, visit the facility at 2415 South 47th Street.   As we were working in a room a young mother came in the room.  She started sorting her laundry consisting of onesies, and other infant clothes.   She was headed over to Baylor, Scott and White, for the difficult vigil.  The fact that she could (1) stay close to her child, (2) share space with others who could understand her condition, and (3) have some measure of normalcy in a world that had been turned upside down, eases some of the pain.    The bottom line is without a resource such as the Ronald McDonald House, this young mother’s life would be so much more difficult.
 
So it was with great joy and commitment that Jackie, Lee, Veronica, Audrey, and Nicholas Basile, Don Cooper, Coleman Hampton, Gail Peek, Richard Schneider and Adam, Mark and Paul Soorholtz descended up the Ronald McDonald House to make a difference in the lives of the residents of the facility.
 
I must confess, I did not know that Adam and Lee were so handy.  Ladies, there is nothing like a useful man!  Jackie is quite a director/manager.  Did she learn those skills at BBVA Compass?  Who knew that Nicholas could be such a great companion for Mark?  When Paul reminded us that he is a four-month old, Jackie brought in her Houdini skills to settle him down.  Truth be told, Veronica, Audrey and I did the heavy lifting, but we are not going to quibble over credit for calming Paul down.  By the way, the P in Paul stands for precious!!!  It was a rare gift watching the Basile children and the Soorholtz clan interact. 
 
Rotarians worked along with Lions and an incredible team of about 35 Texas A & M student volunteers.  We enhanced the facility and the grounds of Ronald McDonald House.  But we Rotarians were not able to get it all done.  We have a few more rooms that need attention.
 
Our DAP Grant needs to have our work completed by April 30, so there may be an APB for help next week end.  I know we can do it.  We just need your help.  Let Don Cooper or Barbara Bozon know if you have a few hours next Saturday to devote to these families who are going through such stress.  I know we are all busy, but if there is an hour or two that you can help, it can make all the difference in the world. 
 
Yours in Service,
 
Gail Peek