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COMMUNITY
Ronald McDonald
House names
volunteer of the year
A sister Company of the
For more details and information on our programs please contact us today
We are pleased to announce the opening
of our Behavioral Health Clinic
Programming Includes:
Mental Health
IOP and PHP
Drug and Alcohol
IOP and PHP
Specialized Sessions are provided for
Older Adults (55+) and Seniors
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Buckhead, GA 30305
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Rriaht
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Kathy Kiernan, a fellow volunteer, sits with Alexandra
Thim, right, who was named the Atlanta Ronald
McDonald House Charities Volunteer of the Year.
By Bob Pepalis
Alexandra Thim, the Atlanta Ronald
McDonald House Charities Volunteer of
the Year, has a long history with the charity.
Thim, a Decatur resident, used to
manage the Ronald McDonald House at
Egleston for four years before she changed
careers to work in a school environment
so she could be home with her kids in
the summer and after school. But when
she retired nine years ago, Thim started
volunteering.
The Ronald McDonald House partners
with children’s hospitals and gives families
a place to stay close to their hospitalized
child. Families don’t have to pay, although
Thim said a $20 per night donation is
requested but is not required.
Both houses in Atlanta — near Egleston
and in Sandy Springs near Scottish
Rite — try to provide dinner every night.
Sometimes volunteer groups come in and
provide meals on the weekend. They have a
pantry available with food. The houses also
have toiletries available, providing a clean
room and a private bath.
“They get to stay as long as the child
is in the hospital or in day treatment,” she
said.
Thim said she does a little bit of
everything. Sometimes she makes sure the
pantry is stocked and the laundry baskets
for families are filled with supplies. She’ll
clean the refrigerator or man the phone
when the staff is in a meeting.
“The staff loves it because it helps them
with things they don’t have time for, and
everybody is so appreciative. And I just find
it so satisfying to be able to do this for these
families that are going through a difficult
time,” Thim said.
When she worked as the house
manager, people asked her if it was
depressing, but she said no.
“On the contrary,
it’s a very uplifting
situation because
sometimes you’d have
a child that is there for
treatment. And they’ll
smile at you and it’s like
OK, they’ve made my
day,” she said.
Another volunteer
who enjoys helping
out is Sandy Springs
resident Dick
Schweitzer. He recently
celebrated his 93rd
birthday at the Atlanta
Ronald McDonald
House Charities
location near Scottish
Rite. He greets families,
makes meals and delivers games and crafts.
To learn more about volunteer
opportunities, visit armhc.org/volunteer.
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