At Ronald McDonald House, families worrying about germs is nothing new. This is their normal every day of the year. The fear and uncertainty we now face in our world is very new to most of us. Looking for the silver lining may be challenging, but the acts of generosity, support and encouragement from our community have already made an enormous impact on our families.
Isabela Amaral and her son Freddy have been staying at Ronald McDonald House on and off for several years. They travel from Brazil so that Freddy can get lifechanging therapy for his cerebral palsy, and in recent days has made incredible strides in walking independently.
Their “new” normal at Ronald McDonald House holds many silver linings. Mother and son can still go for walks in the Florida sunshine, and enjoying “beautiful food from some restaurants, paid for by generous donors.” Isabela is a great example of one who looks for the “silver lining”, although she just learned that English phrase today!
At RMHC Tampa Bay, our four houses are almost full of families. Each one with a story of their own, like Freddy and Isabela. One of the best parts of their day is enjoying a delicious meal that has been lovingly prepared by our community. Sadly, the houses are now closed to those essential meal groups who provide hope, comfort and joy to our families. We look forward to the day we can joyfully welcome those wonderful people back into our houses. In the meantime, we are asking the community to help us feed our families by providing a commercially-prepared meal from afar, knowing they are making a huge impact on many worried parents and siblings.
Please help us surround Ronald McDonald House families with care and comfort by donating cleaning supplies or contributing to our emergency food fund. Thank you for helping us care for each one of these families, who need our help now more than ever. Please visit www.rmhctampabay.org/coronavirus or call <http://www.rmhctampabay.org/coronavirus%20or%20call%20> 813-258-6430, ext. 2.