Great Stories
Montana Campus Corps:
College Students Meeting Critical Community Needs
Gracie by Elizabeth Bierer

During my freshman year at the University of Montana I have been very blessed with numerous wonderful, life changing experiences. And because of these experiences I have grown in to a much more confident, independent, and compassionate individual. By volunteering at Ronald McDonald House, travelling abroad, joining the Davidson Honors College, and living in the dorms I have had the opportunity to broaden my friend circle, help numerous families of Missoula, give back to my community, grow as an individual, and become a stronger, more confident leader. Although all these experiences have heavily impacted and molded me into the person I am today, my volunteer work was by far the most rewarding and enjoyable.
Since I started school in September I have volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House which is located right by Community hospital. The Ronald McDonald House is a non-profit organization where the families of patients at Community hospital can stay overnight for reduced or no cost. Some families stay for only a few days at a time while others stay as long as three months. There is no charge to stay at the RMH but any donations are appreciated. I discovered the Ronald McDonald House at the volunteer fair. Many other volunteer tables were set up but the RMH just stood out to me. Once I attend an hour long orientation, I was ready to get started at the house.
While volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House my duties are to answer the phone, check in/out any guests, file/fill out a small amount of paperwork, clean and maintain the house, and mingle with the families. The house has a beautiful kitchen filled with every appliance needed, two fridges, and two dish-washers. There also are ten dining tables and a large bar for the kids to sit at. They also have two washers/dryers for the guests to do their laundry. Most of the guests are very good about keeping up on dishes and laundry because the Ronald McDonald House has all these wonderful things accessible to them.
I have found my volunteer experience to be extremely rewarding. Not only do I get the opportunity to give back to my community, but I also have the opportunity to meet directly with the families I am helping. Most of the time when I volunteer for a needy family I never get to actually meet them and interact with them. The Ronald McDonald House provides an opportunity for me to mingle and gain a full perspective on what their lives are really like. Many of the children’s recovery stories are extremely moving.
One little girl that I had the privilege of helping has problems with speech because some neuron paths are broken. I had always seen little Gracie running around the house just jabbering away but never fully understood what was wrong until one late night while I was volunteering. Gracie’s mother came to the front desk looking for tape and scissors. When I inquired what she was using them for at such a late hour she replied “It’s for Gracie. Once I’m finished with her neurological model we can finally go home.” I quickly offered my help and soon enough Gracie’s mother and I were working hand in hand to complete a Gracie sized, manikin head model for the various parts of her brain. By labeling and positioning each part of the brain, Gracie’s mom was able to continue treatment for Gracie long after they were back in their home. Gracie’s mother and I had a very delightful conversation about Gracie and her family. Having originally lived in Ireland, we immediately began to chat about my trip to their homeland. She offered a lot of great advice about my trip and wished me the best of luck with my travels. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world to be able to help this wonderful family in any way I could. I not only was able to stretch out a helping hand to construct the brain model, but also provide support and hope for the family.
This late night event made me realize no matter how small a gesture or helping hand may seem, the impact an individual can make on the world solely depends on the amount of effort put forth and compassion felt for the surrounding community. I have gained such a strong bond with the Missoula community and families of the Ronald McDonald House. I will forever have touched a young Gracie’s life, no matter how small it may seem.


« Go Back