Wednesday, January 19, 2011

A Reprieve Before Surgery


Today was the day in between the medical tests of yesterday and the surgery which is tomorrow. I'd like to use this lull before the storm to talk about the Sacramento Ronald McDonald House, where we are staying. This is our second experience staying at Ronald McDonald House, the first being in Cleveland, and both experiences have me thinking that we should run our communities in a similar manner.

Both of the facilities are very nice. In Sacramento, we are staying in a lodge-like building. We have a nice room with three beds, a futon, linens, towels, and a bathroom, one of eight such rooms in the building. There is a common kitchen (each room has its own refrig and cupboard), dining room, play room, computer room, a couple of lounges and two washers and dryers. There are also cool play areas outside with equipment and toys. We use punch codes to get into the facility, building, and room, so no need for keys. Volunteer foster grandparents bring in soup twice a week for supper and bake cookies. The kitchen is fully applianced and stocked with dishes, etc. We are responsible for our own meals, cleaning up, and watching our children when they are in the common areas. The rules are strictly enforced.

The cost for staying at Ronald McDonald in Sacramento is $20 a night, if a family can afford it. Many of the expenses of the house are underwritten by McDonalds and other corporate sponsors. We feel grateful to be able to stay here; it's much better than a hotel. As I said, maybe we should run the world more like a Ronald McDonald house.
Above, Widnerlande and Luke with Ronald in Sacramento

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