Last week, attorneys and staff from D’Amore Law Group purchased and prepared dinner for families staying at the Ronald McDonald East House in Portland, Oregon.
These families are staying with children receiving medical care for a serious illness or injury at Portland’s Legacy Emmanuel.
When your child is seriously ill, it affects your whole family.
A sick child changes a parent’s priorities. Getting your child the best possible medical care becomes your main job: everything else is secondary.
But regular tasks of family life don’t stop because a child is sick.
Your kids still need help with homework.
Your house still needs to be cleaned.
Your family still needs to eat.
The Ronald McDonald House is set up to take some of this burden off of the parents’ shoulders.
There is homework help, shuttles to the hospital, fun family activities—and meals prepared by volunteers.
Parents can focus on the care and health of their child, instead of cooking, cleaning and doing chores.
A happy, supportive environment is really meaningful.
The Ronald McDonald House in Portland is a surprisingly cheerful place.
Big, bright murals cover the walls.
The common rooms are open and comfortable. The whole house is spotlessly clean … making it safe for small children with compromised immune systems.
There are computers, books, toys, and a brand-new playground.
It is especially striking when you consider the alternative.
You can imagine how hard it would be to spend months away from home, caring for a sick child.
Hotels are expensive, and the rooms are small. Healthy food is costly, and options are limited. There are no resources for entertaining young children. There is no one to lend a hand.
In contrast, the Ronald McDonald House feels safe, supportive—and fun.
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, eager to help parents manage resources. Kids get to know other kids with similar health experiences.
Everyone gets support—and everyone gets to have a sense of normalcy during a chaotic time.
Every gesture means something.
We used our combined culinary skills to prepare salads, made-to-order pizzas, and fresh cookies.
It was a simple dinner.
But when families are struggling to fight a child’s serious illness or injury, a small gesture—like a home-cooked meal—can help.
It means a night off from cooking. An extra hour at the hospital. A day that ends with a family dinner.
On September 17th, lawyers and staff from plaintiff’s law firms across the country volunteered at Ronald McDonald House Charities as part of The Injury Board Day of Action.
Each person volunteered a few hours. Each firm donated the cost of the meal.
Alone, we all made small gestures of kindness.
Together, we helped hundreds of families struggling with childhood illness.
We wish all of these families good luck, and good health.
The lawyers and staff at D’Amore Law Group believe that a healthy and safe community benefits all of us, and commit time and resources to strengthening and improving their extended community.
Do you have a volunteer project for us? Contact Sara Wold at 5o3-222-6333.
