Trying to Model What is Important

On Saturday Elise, Abby, and I volunteered with a group from our church at one of the Ronald McDonald House's in Kansas City. This is something that I have wanted to do for the past couple of years and I am glad that I finally made the leap to get it done!

It was kind of a surreal experience being back in the house. When Elise was going through treatment we spent some time living in the Ronald McDonald House, and it was generally during some of our darkest hours. With Kelly's parents living 30 minutes from the hospital, and one of us always sleeping in Elise's hospital room, most of our time was split between staying at the hospital and her parents house. But, there were several times when Elise ended up in the ICU and we had to move out of her regular hospital room. Once that happened we generally got a room at the Ronald McDonald House so that we could be as close as possible to the hospital in case things didn't go well in the night. Fortunately, there were only a couple of times we made the middle of the night trek back to the hospital, and we were always glad to be close. Kansas City is fortunate to have two Ronald McDonald Houses (and they are about to break ground on a 3rd house!). It is sad there is such a need for it, but it is a great place for families with sick kids. We were "fortunate" to live in the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland, OH for a week when Elise was undergoing some testing at the Cleveland Clinic. It was nice to have a place to call "home" while we were away from our real home.

I was emotionally touched by my experience there some two years ago and I always wanted to go back and try to repay that in some small way. For no good reason, I just haven't been able/willing to make it happen. I realized this past weekend that it was a little emotionally harder that I thought it would be. As I mentioned above, we lived in the house during some of our darkest hours. Like anybody, I think of those times often, but I don't try to linger too long in the places my mind doesn't want to stay. As I talked with several families in the house this weekend, I could see the same stress on their faces that I once felt, and I got to witness the relief of another family as they were finally taking their child home after a very lengthy stay in the hospital and later the house.

A place like the Ronald McDonald House runs almost solely on volunteers. Hundreds of hours per week are given by people to ensure that the needs of families are met. Meals are provided, gift cards for some of life's necessities are provided, free tickets to some attractions and entertainment are available, you name it. There are many great opportunities to try and get away, mentally and physically, from the struggles at hand. Before Elise was sick, I did try and volunteer some, but it certainly was never at the forefront of my mind. I wouldn't say I am a "rock star volunteer" now either, but it is frequently on my mind and I am quick to be willing to give time to help somebody else out. We certainly have been on the other end and needed the help. I am glad now that I can pay it forward like many have done for me.

Abby, Jess, and Riley

In case you are wondering, there isn't really anything easy about taking a six and four year old volunteering! Elise has worse concentration than any case of ADD I have ever seen, and Abby is mostly interested in snacks and playtime! But, it was important for them to go and to learn to give back. While I helped Elise accomplish the tasks that we were assigned to work on, Abby made a new friend in Jess. We had never met her before, even though she goes to our church. Jess offered to take Abby along with her and help her accomplish the tasks they had as well. I was certainly thankful for the help, and I think Abby got even more out of this experience by getting to help someone else. Abby said she didn't really remember coming to the Ronald McDonald House, but she did remember where you had to go to eat!

In our family, our lives have been tremendously impacted by people that have volunteered their time to many organizations and charities. In just a few short years we have come in to contact with the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City and Cleveland, the Make a Wish Foundation, Major Don's Army, Cancer Action, Give Kids the World Village, Children's Mercy Hospital, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, Children's Miracle Network, and Variety the Children's Charity. Our lives have been touched on a weekly basis by the great volunteers at the Junction City Church of the Nazarene when we used to live in Junction City/Geary County and Central Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa now. I'll likely toot the horn of some of these great organizations in another post in the future. If you are interested in learning more about them, click on the link for each one.

Not everyone has the same needs, likes, and interests that we have. There are many other volunteer opportunities out there besides children's, medical, church, and health organizations. I encourage everyone to do like we did. It was about 3 hours of our day. That's not too much in the scheme of things. Find an organization that needs help, that you have a passion for, and that makes you feel like you can make the difference in the life of someone else. All of these organizations need money to run. If you are able, you should find something to support to the best of your abilities. Even if you can't find it in your budget to donate money, you likely can find time to donate. It won't cost you anything! And, you never know, it may impact the lives of a family like ours and lead them to pay it forward as well. You could start something big in your own life and the life of others! Just do it! After a great day of volunteering, they might even have a big rocking chair for you to enjoy too!