Volunteering - The Gift that Gives Back

When people volunteer at a charity for the first time there are many “intended” consequences.  At the Ronald McDonald House that might mean tickets get sold, decorations get hung, rooms get cleaned, meals get made, dishes get done, walls get fixed, or pop tabs get picked up.  That’s what gets announced on Facebook, in our newsletter, on our web, or in our blog.  But for returning volunteers, it’s the “un”intended consequences that bring them back.

Curt Guffin, owner of Guffin Construction, was one of those volunteers.   Curt began volunteering for the RMHC last year when a friend asked if he would help out at the Pheasants Take-My-Jersey Night because the charity was short on volunteers.  And in just one night, Curt was hooked.   At every Ronald McDonald House event after that, Curt could be found on the volunteer team.  “Every event I’ve volunteered at has been fun,” Guffin said--something he hadn’t really anticipated that first night when he arrived at the ballpark.  Curt intended to give his time to the charity, but he didn’t realize how much it would give back to him.   

Because of his specialized skills, his volunteering at events has evolved into doing some much-appreciated carpenter work around the charity. All homes need some TLC, (yes, even ours!) as new as they are.  Some of the projects he has worked on are fixing cracks in the drywall, fixing a broken fence, repairing washers and dryers, and replacing doors.

Curt will tell you another of the “un”intended consequences of helping at the House has been getting to know some of the families that stay at the house.  Visiting with families and their children has given him the unique perspective of seeing (and hearing) how his volunteering, and that of so many others, makes a real difference in people’s lives. 

From handy-work and cooking to blanket making and scrapbooking, the Ronald McDonald House loves our volunteers and all they do for the charity.  By the same token, we wish for all volunteers everywhere to experience the happiness that giving brings.  Curt will tell you, it feels good – it just does.