2015 Volunteer Accolades

Lisa Allison is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for December 2015.

Lisa began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in July 2007 and has completed over 164 hours of service.  Lisa is a long-time RMH volunteer – she started volunteering when our CMHH location opened.  She volunteers on Saturdays and our weekend managers are always delighted to see her.  Lisa’s dedication, kindness, and helpfulness make her a valued part of our team!  Thankful to have her be a part of our continued success.

Marie Torres is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for December 2015.

Marie began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in March 2012 and has completed over 206 hours of service.  Marie is a House volunteer but trained on all floors and is always willing to help out wherever she is needed. She is very conscientious and efficient in every task she is given.  Her interaction with the families fulfills our mission of caring and compassion. Marie is always willing to go the extra mile. Thank you Marie for being an AWESOME volunteer!

Ann Schultz is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for December 2015.

Ann began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in November 2014 and has completed over 60 hours of service. Ann is very dedicated and hardworking!  If we have special activities on a Friday which is her normal shift day, she will adjust her schedule to accommodate ours.  She has a can-do attitude and that is valuable to our families and us at RMH Houston.  Ann is very understanding and empathetic when dealing with the families since she too, is a cancer survivor.  Her compassion is visible and she serves from the heart! Kudos to you, Ann, for always being amazing.

Marilyn Mogas is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for November 2015.

Marilyn began volunteering with RMH Houston in July 2005 and has completed over 504 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House.  She has been coming for years with Houston’s Junior Woman’s Club to provide a delicious lunch for our families, volunteers and staff on Thursdays.  She does this with joy and creativity.  Marilyn (and her family) have been long time supporters of the House and does so many other things behind the scenes to help insure the continued success of Ronald McDonald House Houston.  We greatly appreciate Marilyn and her years of dedication to the House.

Elise Cohen is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for November 2015.

Elise began volunteering with RMH Houston at CMHH in March 2015 and has completed over 60 hours of service. She is so sweet, patient, and helpful!  She volunteers on Tuesday nights and she works wonderfully with other volunteers to support the families.  Elise assists with check-ins, making linen packets, and anything else she can do to help.  She even volunteered for the summer camp at Holcombe this past summer!  We are so glad to have Elise on board with us.

Jemma Spence is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for November 2015.

Jemma began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in March 2015 and has completed over 233 hours of service.  Jemma’s assignment is volunteering in the House on the 4^th floor and has also cross-trained in the Family Rooms. Jemma works very hard making sure the kitchen and dining areas are clean and stocked, linens packets are made, living area and library are in order and so much more. She has a welcoming smile and beautiful accent that greets every guest that walks through our door.  In addition to volunteering at TCH, Jemma also volunteers at the Holcombe House in their Advancement Office. Thank you, Jemma for helping us create the warm and welcoming atmosphere we want each family to experience during their time at our home away from home.

Carolyn Royal is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for November 2015.

Carolyn began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in June 2014 and has completed over 99 hours of service.  Carolyn is an amazing volunteer!  Carolyn loves to bake cookies and go door to door distributing them; this inevitably brings smiles to the patients and their families.  Most of the families keep up with her volunteer schedule and look forward to her being here.  Her demeanor is one of compassion and empathy at all times.  She has no problem getting down to a child’s level to say hello and make sure they are well taken care of when they come into our RMHH kitchen.  Outside of being all those wonderful things, she is also a very dedicated and hard worker!  Thank you, Carolyn for being an awesome volunteer!

Patricia Schaefer is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for October 2015.

Patricia began volunteering with RMH Houston in July 2005 and has completed over 388 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House.  She comes regularly to provide awesome lunches for our families with a smile on her face.  When your child is terminally ill the last thing you want to think about is where your next meal is coming from.  The families and RMH Houston are absolutely thankful that Patricia keeps on coming back!

Andrea Parker is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for October 2015.

Andrea began volunteering with RMH Houston at CMHH in June 2015 and has completed over 65 hours of service.  Andrea is an awesome volunteer!  She works very hard during her shifts and accomplishes a lot.  She picks up substitute shifts for us all the time and will always help out when we need her.  Andrea even helped us reorganize our storeroom – a huge task that we’re grateful Andrea was happy to take on!  She is excellent with the families, always being compassionate and supportive.  Andrea is a valued part of our team and we’re so glad to have her here!

Susan Van Velkinburgh is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for October 2015.

Susan began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in October 2012 and has completed over 190 hours of service.  She is a dedicated volunteer committed to providing care and support for families and guests utilizing our Family Rooms.  Susan keeps our Family Rooms clean, stocked and organized. She notices when something needs to be done and does it! Recently, Susan has been taking care of all four Family Rooms during her shift. Thank you Susan for the support you give to our patients, families and staff!

Huong Nguyen is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for October 2015.

Huong began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in August 2014 and has completed over 80 hours of service.  From the first day we met Huong, we were impressed with her demeanor.  She has so much love for life and it transmits into everything she does!  Huong is a very giving young lady.  The empathy and compassion she exhibits towards others is commendable.  She certainly is a great asset to our organization!  Thank you, Huong for everything that you are!

Laura Hopeck is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for September 2015.

Laura began volunteering with RMH Houston in October 2014 and has completed over 205 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House.  Laura Hopeck jumped into volunteering at Holcombe House with both feet.  She picked up several open shifts when she first started so that she could make sure that she learned our processes and expectations of our volunteers quickly.  Laura has continued to regularly pick up open shifts to make sure that we have volunteers here to serve our families and assist the staff.  She willingly takes on any special project that we need help completing.  Laura spent several hours organizing and cleaning out our family library on the second floor last Fall.  Now, she continues to keep it clean and organized with new books as they are donated.  She is also a special friend to Mogie especially when those tasty treats she brings him.  Laura’s smile and positive attitude are contagious every time that she comes to help.   She is a true asset to the Holcombe House operations.

Jeanie Gibbs is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for September 2015.

Jeanie began volunteering with RMH Houston at CMHH in March 2007 and has completed over 168 hours of service.  Jeanie has been a wonderful addition to our CMHH team!  She’s given so much of her time to RMH at TCH and we’re so glad she decided to share her time with us at CMHH, too.  Jeanie is so helpful, cheerful, and sweet with the families.  Her help on Sunday afternoons is much appreciated!  We are so thankful for Jeanie and all that she does!

Shannon Friday is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for September 2015.

Shannon began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in July 2011 and has completed over 219 hours of service.  She volunteers in the House on Friday afternoons, welcoming each family with a smile and ready to take on whatever tasks need to be done.  Shannon is also cross-trained and will take care of the Family Rooms when we are shorthanded.  Thank you Shannon for being an AWESOME volunteer!!!

Jay Ellzey is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for September 2015.

Jay began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in March 2014 and has completed over 80 hours of service.  Jay and his wife volunteer together and they make a great team, however, Jay loves to bake cookies for the families and always takes time to listen to the families and to encourage the patients. His smile is contagious and the children look forward to his volunteer time!  Thank you, Jay for being remarkable!

Annette Moore is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for August 2015.

Annette began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in January 2013 and has completed over 237 hours of service.  She loves interacting with the patients and families in the family rooms.  She visits the patients in their rooms to either read or play games with them.  She not only takes care of the family rooms, but if we need additional help on the 4th floor, she is always ready to help out there as well.  Annette is extremely personable and compassionate not only to the patients and families, but to her fellow volunteers as well.  She is calm no matter the situation and is always ready with a smile of welcome.  We LOVE Annette to pieces and she totally deserves VOM for all of the amazing things that she does for RMH and the families, but also just for being the person that she is.  Thanks so much!!

Emily Koslan is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for August 2015.

Emily began volunteering with RMH Houston at CMHH in June 2012 and has completed over 162 hours of service.  Emily has been dedicated to RMH for several years now, first volunteering at Holcombe House and now at the CMHH location.  She volunteers through Junior League and we are so glad she was placed at CMHH this year!  Emily is sweet to the families and works hard during her shift – she’s become a pro at handling pizza night!  She’s a great volunteer, and we couldn’t be happier to have her as a part of our team!  Thank you for your consistently and compassion for RMH Houston, Emily!

Samantha Davis is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for August 2015.

Samantha began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in September 2014 and has completed over 61 hours of service. Samantha’s demeanor is always sweet and welcoming towards all of our patients and parents.  She is constantly working and asking where else she can assist.  Although Samantha is a quiet person by nature, she has the most beautiful smile and is always ready to share that smile with others! We are so glad that she is part of our team!  Her dedication to our mission and to her volunteer assignment is admirable.

Tonetta Whyte is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for July 2015.

Tonetta began volunteering with RMH Houston at CMHH in July 2007 and has completed over 73 hours of service.  Tonetta is always cheerful and helpful.  Her wonderful sense of humor always keeps us laughing.  She often picks up substitute shifts for us and her dedication to RMH is impressive.  We’re so glad to have Tonetta around!

Brooke Kinert is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for July 2015.

Brooke began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in November 2011 and has completed over 228 hours of service.  Brooke is a very dedicated Family Room volunteer. When we are shorthanded she takes on the task of working in all four Family Rooms. We are very fortunate to have her on our team. Thank you Brooke for the time you give RMH at TCH each month!

Jennifer Gutierrez is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for July 2015.

Jennifer began volunteering with RMH Houston at MDA in January 2014 and has completed over 113 hours of service. Jenny is a cancer survivor and when I tell you that she brings her heart to RMH at MDA to volunteer, she absolutely does!  Although Jenny is a young adult, she is amazing!  Her sense of responsibility and accountability is paramount.  We are truly appreciative to be able to serve our patients and their families along someone as giving, generous and inspiring as Jennifer!

Robert Rojas is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for June 2015.

Robert began volunteering with RMH Houston in July 2012 and has completed over 174 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Robert is a very quiet volunteer but works with diligence and compassion. As a Welcome Desk volunteer, Robert is always friendly and helpful to the guests that call the Holcombe House home. He is always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty during his shift, and he has been a tremendous asset during his tenure. Congratulations to Robert, and thank you for all  you do for the families of RMH Houston!

Jasmine McClendon is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for June 2015.

Jasmine began volunteering at RMH Houston at CMHH in September 2014 and has completed over 45 hours of service. Jasmine is a very helpful volunteer who is dedicated to RMH Houston. We’re so grateful she is able to come in and support us during our busy weeknight shifts. Her happy personality brightens everyone’s day. She is very compassionate and eager to assist the families. We’re so happy to have her as a part of our team! Thank you for all that you do, Jasmine!

Kathy Wagner is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for June 2015.

Kathy began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in April 2012 and has completed over 195 hours of service. Kathy is a very dedicated, dependable and responsible volunteer. After working all day she arrives at RMH Houston at TCH with a smile on her face and is ready to go to work to serve our families by checking them in for the night, stocking the kitchen and making sure everyone has what they need. Although Kathy is assigned to the ICU location, she is ready and willing to fill in at our Family Rooms. Thank you Kathy for being a FANTASTIC volunteer! Kudos to Kathy!

Carolyn Cutt is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for June 2015.

Carolyn began volunteering at RMH Houston at MDA in April 2014 and has completed over 50 hours of service. Carolyn is truly an amazing volunteer. She is giving, dedicated and responsible. Her soft spoken voice and calm demeanor are always conducive to a very peaceful environment when she volunteers. Carolyn strives to keep a spotless kitchen for the enjoyment of the families and takes pride in delivering cookies to the patients who cannot leave their rooms. Thank you for all that you do for RMH Houston, Carolyn!

Brenda Werner is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for May 2015.

Brenda began volunteering at RMH Houston in May 2010 and has completed over 171 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Her love for RMH Houston runs deep as she volunteers in several different roles. As a member of the Houston Junior Woman’s Club, Brenda can be found on Thursdays serving up a delicious meal to thr Holcombe House families. Additionally, she was co-chair of the RMH Houston Santa Store this past December as we transformed our Community Room into Santa’s workshop. Congratulations Brenda and thank you for all you do for the families of RMH Houston!

Aisha Dickerson is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for May 2015.

Aisha began volunteering at RMH Houston at CMHH in August 2014 and has completed over 60 hours of service. She works hard during her shift handling check-outs, making linen packets, stocking and cleaning. Aisha also supports us by offering to pick up sub shifts and assist with meals during other shifts. Her kindness and willingness to help are so much appreciated by RMH Houston staff, other volunteers and families. We’re so glad she’s a part of our team! Thank you for all you do, Aisha!

Sheilla Wright is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for May 2015.

Sheilla began volunteering at RMH Houston at TCH in September 2013 and has completed over 173 hours of service. She is the kind of person that rolls up her sleeves and does whatever needs to be done with a calm, friendly attitude. Sheilla volunteers in two of the Family Rooms and is always willing to help out in the other Family Rooms if needed. After she completes her assigned Family Rooms, she visits the House and makes linen packets or helps with stocking bedrooms for nap time. We thank Sheilla for the AMAZING support she provides for our families. Kudos to Sheilla!

Daisy Michalson is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for May 2015.

Daisy began volunteering at RMH Houston at MDA in June 2015 and has completed over 60 hours of service. She works tirelessly during her shifts and always provides excellent customer service. Daisy always has a smile and a warm greeting for the patients and their families. Although she doesn’t volunteer ever week, she can always identify the families and greets them by name when they walk into our kitchen which puts a smile on the faces of our parents. Thank you for all you do for RMH Houston, Daisy!

Martha Culbreth is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for April 2015.

Martha began volunteering with RMH Houston in January 2012 and has completed over 190 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Martha comes in for her shift ready to work and eager to help the families and the staff with whatever is needed. Martha is polite and patient with the families, which is such a comfort to them. Thank you for your dedication, Martha!

Sarah Gruber is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for April 2015.

Sarah began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in June 2014 and has completed 72 hours of service. Sarah is one of our wonderful Junior League volunteers and is a former Memorial Hermann volunteer. She has been very helpful when giving families directions of answering questions, since she’s so familiar with the hospital. She has a great attitude and she’s always happy to help by picking up sub shifts when we have no volunteers. Sarah gets so much accomplished during her shifts – cleaning, making linen packets and stocking. Thank you for all that you do, Sarah!

Kyler Galford is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for April 2015.

Kyler began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in June 2012 and has completed over 190 hours of service. Kyler is a wonderful volunteer who continually goes above and beyond with her duties at RMH Houston. She is extremely flexible and is willing to do whatever is needed in the Family Rooms and on the 4th floor. She is a ball of energy and is very friendly and helpful to all the families and her fellow volunteers. She also makes excellent cookies! Kudos to Kyler!

Teri Grant is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for April 2015.

Teri began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in December 2013 and has completed over 72 hours of service. Teri has a gentle spirit and always greets our families with a smile. She has a warm and welcoming demeanor that our families are so appreciatve of. Teri always goes above and beyond for our families. Thank you for all you do for RMH Houston, Teri!

Stephanie Lex is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for March 2015.

Stephanie began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in June 2014 and has completed 66 hours of service. Stephanie is a wonderful volunteer who is very dedicated and dependable. She cheerfully serves our families, showing them compassion and helping them however she can. She accomplishes a lot during her shift by stocking, cleaning and making linen packets and is always happy to help with any special projects. Her patience, optimism and professionalism are valued by the whole team. Thank you for all that you do, Stephanie!

Christina Mewis is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for March 2015.

Christina started volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in September 2011 and has completed over 165 hours of service. She is cross trained to support both the 20 bedroom House and all our Family Rooms. Christina is always cheerful and ready to tackle any responsibility. She is someone we can always count on. Christina is dedicated to taking great care of our families. Thank you for your caring and generous spirit, Christina!

Amy Armstrong is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for March 2015.

Amy began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in July 2013 and has completed over 51 hours of service. She is dependable and dedicated to her volunteer service. Amy has a wonderful rapport with the families and has quickly become a family favorite during bingo. She is always eager to assist the families and makes everyone feel at home. Thank you for all you do for RMH Houston, Amy!

Alberto Pasquale is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for February 2015.

Alberto began volunteering with RMH Houston in January 2014 and has completed over 170 hours of service with the families at Holcombe House. He promptly arrives for his shift and is always willing to stay later if needed. Alberto is always eager to help the families, answer the phones and even translates when needed. He always demonstrates the winning attitude we like to see in our volunteers. Thank you for your dedication, Alberto!

Danielle Baldauff is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for February 2015.

Danielle began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in May 2014 and has compelted 43 hours of service. She is a hard worker who consistently picks up sub shifts when needed. Danielle is very attentive and makes sure the families have everything they need. We very much appreciate her reliability, cheerfulness and compassion for the families. Thank you for all that you do, Danielle!

Jennifer and Veronica Phung are the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteers of the Month for February 2015.

Jennifer began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in October 2012 and has completed over 194 hours of service. Veronica began volunteering in July 2012 and has completed over 167 hours of service. They are a wonderful team with great attitudes, smiling faces and are always willing to help in any way. They are cross-trained at all locations but you can usually find Veronica courteously and efficiently checking families out, and Jennifer visiting our Family Rooms to insure they are clean and stocked as well as welcoming the families when they arrive. Kudos to Jennifer and Veronica!

Danielle Ehrlich is the Ronald McDonald House at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for February 2015.

Danielle began volunteering weekly at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in July 2014 and has completed over 70 hours of service. She is dependable, loves doing activities with the patients and makes families feel welcomed when they visit RMH Houston. Described as a “girly” girl, Danielle has been instrumental in establishing the mini spa for our families. She is always eager to help! Thank you for all you do for RMH Houston, Danielle!

Erika Ramirez is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for January 2015.

Erika began volunteering with RMH Houston in July 2012 and has completed over 158 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. She is always positive and upbeat during her shift, and willing to go the extra mile to do what is needed to help our families and staff. Thank you for your dedication Erika!

Michelle Ross is the RMH Houston at Children’sMemorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for January 2015.

Michelle began volunteering at RMH at CMHH in December 2013 and has completed 50 hours of service. She is such a cheerful, helpful volunteer! She often picks up sub shifts or stays late to help if there are no volunteers for the shift after hers. She’s a wonderful cookie baker and works hard during her shift to help with whatever is needed. We’re lucky to have a volunteer like Michelle! Thank you for all that you do!

Kelly O’Connor is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for January 2015.

Kelly began volunteering at RMH at TCH in January 2011 and has completed over 194 hours of service. She is a dedicated and supportive volunteer and is part of the amazing Tuesday evening volunteer team. With Kelly’s commitment and dedication we know our families are well cared for. Kudos to Kelly!

Alfred Caracciolo is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for January 2015.

Alfred began volunteering at RMH at MDA in July 2013 and has completed over 64 hours of service. He is very welcoming to the families and often will take time to chat with the patients, letting his ‘inner teacher’ shine through. Alfred always has a huge smile and kind words for each person who enters our space. Alfred is always proactive and takes the lead when baking cookies. Thank you for all you do for RMH Houston, Alfred!