2017 Volunteer Accolades

Holcombe House – Laura Czapski

Laura Czapski Is Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for November. Laura has been volunteering with Ronald McDonald House Houston since 2012 in the role of a Junior League meal volunteer. She is now the Junior League liaison for the Monday night Junior League meal group at Holcombe House, as well as the Junior League volunteers serving at RMH inside MD Anderson and Children’s Memorial Hermann hospitals. You can find her here most Monday nights encouraging the Junior League meal volunteers to engage with the families. Her smile and enthusiasm lights up the room and children and parents alike join in on the Bingo and craft activities that Junior League provides after the meal. Laura’s leadership makes this a great experience for volunteers and families alike.

Ronald McDonald House inside Texas Children’s Hospital – Byron Aragon

Byron has been such a great help to us! He is our go-to volunteer when we have a last minute cancellation, and he has come in after work to help us more times than we can count, even with only a few hours’ notice. Byron does a great job at making our family rooms welcoming and is always happy to help families however he can. He even recently recruited his sister to join our volunteer team! He goes above and beyond to cheer up the oncology patients here, including dressing up as Woody from Toy Story this Halloween!

Ronald McDonald Family Room inside MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital – Maryann Tebbe

Maryann has been such an inspiration to watch as she interacts with the patients and their families. This volunteer has such a sweet disposition in the manner in which she interacts with the families that she is often asked about, even when she’s not volunteering! Maryann loves to bake cookies and hand deliver them to the kiddos who cannot come out of the rooms. She is indeed an amazing team member and we are so glad to have her be a part of our Ronald McDonald Family Room at the MDA Family Room program!

Holcombe House – Kathy Fender

Kathy Fender is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for October 2017. Kathy has been part of the Holcombe House Welcome Desk team since October 2014 on the second and fourth Wednesday from 12 to 3 pm. Kathy arrives happy to serve families and always does so with a smile and willingness. In addition, Kathy helps the front desk run smoothly and is willing to help any department with tasks that need to be done. Thank you Kathy for your dedication and commitment to the mission and families of Ronald McDonald House Houston.

Ronald McDonald Family Room MD Anderson – Gerald Wong

Gerald has been such an impactful presence at Ronald McDonald Family Room at MD Anderson. His joyful disposition and his forever smile are just a few of the qualities that endear him to the patients and their families. The fathers in particular seek him out when he volunteers as they love to talk travel and sports with him. Gerald always goes above and beyond to assist the families and the RMFR staff when we have special activities. He always responds to requests for help and works tirelessly to ensure said activity is successful. Gerald clearly loves volunteering, it is evident from the moment he walks in until the moment he walks out!

Ronald McDonald House Texas Children’s Hospital – Gengly Tzun

Gengly is such a fantastic volunteer! She is incredibly dependable, and is always here for her shifts, right on time. Anytime need help on a particular day, she does everything she can to arrange her schedule so she can sub when we need her. She loves volunteering on the Outpatient Oncology/Hematology floor, and she brightens the mornings of the patients and parents on 14th floor! Gengly works hard during her shift to make sure the family room is clean and stocked, and she always makes time to bake cookies for her 14th floor families while she’s here. She is working towards becoming a pediatrician, and her passion for caring for children and families really shows. We are so grateful for her dedication to Ronald McDonald House Houston!

Ronald McDonald House Children’s Memorial Hermann – Rana Ghovanlooghajar

Rana is a kind and thoughtful volunteer. She cares about the smallest detail and wants our families to always have what they need to feel at home. She is faithful and works diligently throughout her entire shift. She does whatever is needed and always with a smile. We are so grateful to have her on our team at Ronald McDonald House inside Children’s Memorial Hermann!

TCH – Vanessa McCrea

We don’t know what we would do without Vanessa! She is incredibly dependable and is not only here for her scheduled shift, but also picks up multiple sub shifts each month, filling in whenever we need her the most. Vanessa never stops while she’s here, and constantly stays busy cleaning fridges, greeting families, and baking cookies. She works so diligently to make sure the family rooms are welcoming, spotless, and well-stocked for our families. She’s always got a smile on her face, and cheerfully and compassionately shares RMH’s mission and services with families. We’re so glad that she’s part of our team!

CMHH – Steve Galiette

We are so grateful to have Steve on our team at CMHH. Steve is faithful and consistent – we can always count on him to show up with a warm smile and a good attitude! Steve is willing to go the extra mile and stays busy for his entire shift. He is kind to our families, hospital partners, and staff. It is a blessing to have Steve on our team!

HH – Patrick Flaherty

The Holcombe House Operations Team is excited to recognize Patrick Flaherty as our September Volunteer of the Month. Patrick started volunteering at the Holcombe House about 2 years ago. He has walked through the front doors with a servant heart and a big smile on his face since day one. Patrick is quick to help the families and complete any tasks needed by the entire Holcombe House staff during his shifts. He already has a 9-12 shift 3 times a month but saw the repeated posted need for coverage from 3-6 on a different day of the week; so he stepped forward and picked it up as a second permanent shift. It is because of Patrick’s dedication and willingness to serve the families that call Holcombe House their home away from home and our staff that we are excited to name him our September Volunteer of the Month.

MDA – Jacqueline Gonzalez Carmona

Jacqueline Gonzalez Carmona is our nominee for Volunteer of the Month! Jacqueline is a person we can always depend on. Her sense of serving others is beautiful to watch. From making sure there are fresh cookies for the families to enjoy, to sitting on the floor with a patient, just to see how they are doing and to see if they need anything from the snack bar! The families absolutely love Jacqueline; one parent expressed her admiration for this volunteer in that she treats all people with the same respect and kindness, be it an adult or a child, everyone gets greeted with a smile!

Jacqueline Gonzalez Carmona is the RMH Houston at M.D. Anderson Children’s Cancer Center Hospital Volunteer of the Month for August!

Jacqueline is a person we can always depend on. Her sense of serving others is beautiful to watch. From making sure there are fresh cookies for the families to enjoy, to sitting on the floor with a patient, just to see how they are doing and to see if they need anything from the snack bar! The families absolutely love Jacqueline; one parent expressed her admiration for this volunteer in that she treats all people with the same respect and kindness, be it an adult or a child, everyone gets greeted with a smile!

Vanessa McCrea is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for August!

We don’t know what we would do without Vanessa! She is incredibly dependable and is not only here for her scheduled shift, but also picks up multiple sub shifts each month, filling in whenever we need her the most. Vanessa never stops while she’s here, and constantly stays busy cleaning fridges, greeting families, and baking cookies. She works so diligently to make sure the family rooms are welcoming, spotless, and well-stocked for our families. She’s always got a smile on her face, and cheerfully and compassionately shares RMH’s mission and services with families. We’re so glad that she’s part of our team!

Steve Galiette is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Herman Hospital Volunteer of the Month for August!

We are so grateful to have Steve on our team at CMHH. Steve is faithful and consistent – we can always count on him to show up with a warm smile and a good attitude! Steve is willing to go the extra mile and stays busy for his entire shift. He is kind to our families, hospital partners, and staff. It is a blessing to have Steve on our team!

Patrick Flaherty is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for August!

Patrick started volunteering at the Holcombe House about 2 years ago. He has walked through the front doors with a servant heart and a big smile on his face since day one. Patrick is quick to help the families and complete any tasks needed by the entire Holcombe House staff during his shifts. He already has a 9-12 shift 3 times a month but saw the repeated posted need for coverage from 3-6 on a different day of the week; so he stepped forward and picked it up as a second permanent shift. It is because of Patrick’s dedication and willingness to serve the families that call Holcombe House their home away from home and our staff that we are excited to name him our September Volunteer of the Month.

Laura Brossette is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for July 2017.

Laura began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in January 2017 and has completed over 40 hours of service. Laura is a hardworking, self-starter, who always has a smile on her face! She never hesitates to stay over her volunteer shift if the person after her has not arrived by the time she is scheduled to leave. Laura is always available to assist with special activities and works very hard to make sure the families have a happy, peaceful environment when visiting any of the RMFR areas; but best of all, her chocolate chip cookies are famous as she makes the biggest cookies this side of the equator!

Ashleigh Kraatz is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for July 2017.

Ashleigh began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in March 2014 and has completed over 156 hours of service. Ashleigh is a great volunteer who has so much love for RMH! Her volunteer shifts here are so important to her, and we know we can always rely on her to be here for her shift. She shows great compassion for our RMH families, and she does a wonderful job keeping our family rooms clean, stocked, and welcoming. Her cheerfulness and happy-to-help attitude are so appreciated, and we are thankful to have her as a part of our team!

Eduardo Longoria is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for July 2017.

Eduardo began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in February 2017 and has completed over 24 hours of service. Eduardo is an incredible volunteer. He is extremely reliable and we can count on him to come ready to work hard for 3 solid hours every single shift. Eduardo is always smiling and is kind and compassionate to our families. Eduardo is willing to do the most menial task and never asks for any credit or recognition. He is such a great representation of an RMH volunteer. We are so grateful to have Eduardo on the CMHH team!

Michelle Fowler is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for July 2017.

Michelle began volunteering with RMH Houston in March 2014 and has completed over 196 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Michelle has been faithfully serving our families and assisting our staff with numerous tasks for over 3 years. She arrives with a servant heart and is always willing to tackle any task presented with a kind smile. It is only because of the generous and caring volunteers like Michelle that we are able to continue to serve so many families and help them feel like they have a home away from home while residing at the Ronald McDonald House. THANK YOU Michelle for your dedication and devotion to the mission of our House!

Oralys Ocampo is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for June 2017.

Oralys began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in September 2016 and has completed over 53 hours of service. Oralys has such a great disposition when it comes to volunteering with RMFR @ MDA; her smile brightens up the room when she walks in and her love for serving others is visible in all she does! Oralys goes above and beyond even in the smallest of details, such as when speaking to our patients and inconspicuously finding out what their favorite show is, just so that she can turn the tv to that specific channel, next time the patient visits our areas. Because she knows some of our patients love extra soft chocolate chip cookies and some of them love hard cookies; she always bakes both types of cookies and knows exactly who likes which cookies and makes sure they receive just the right (consistency) one! Above all else, the families love speaking with her and our Spanish speaking families look forward to the days Oralys volunteers as they love to chat in Spanish with her.

Brandi Holmes is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for June 2017.

Brandi began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in May 2015 and has completed over 141 hours of service. Brandi is ultra-dependable, and we always have great confidence that she will be here for her shift. She is incredibly thorough in the family rooms – she goes above and beyond in everything she does, whether that’s stocking, cleaning, or assisting a family. She cleans the family rooms meticulously, scrubbing everything down and keeping our RMH spaces spotless. She has such a cheerful and positive attitude, and she does a wonderful job interacting with the families. We are so thrilled to have her as a part of our team, and she’s highly deserving of the Volunteer of the Month title!

Adriane Trisciuzzi is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for June 2017.

Adriane began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in October 2016 and has completed over 49 hours of service. Adriane is an incredible volunteer! She has an amazing work ethic and is a quick learner. She always shows up for her shifts and gives 110% the entire time she’s here. She is tri-lingual and has helped us translate signs and other documents into Spanish. She also helps us communicate with Spanish speaking families with great compassion and patience. We are very grateful to have her on the team at CMHH!

Randee Rothman is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for June 2017.

Randee began volunteering with RMH Houston in February 2016 and has completed over 156 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Randee started volunteering at the Holcombe House and fell in love with the families we serve and Mogie which motivated her to pick up extra shifts. Mogie gets excited when he hears her voice and runs to the front desk to greet her when she arrives for her shifts. Our children love Randee because she always makes time to stop and have Mogie play ball with them. She walks through the front doors with a beautiful smile and a servant heart, ready to handle whatever challenges arise that day. Randee has taken the initiative to work with another volunteer to create step-by-step instructions (with pictures) for multiple processes that can be handled by seasoned volunteers which will also go into a training manual for House Managers. This has taken hours and hours of dedication while in the House and even typing detail instructions at home. This manual will prove to be invaluable for years to come. We are so proud to have dedicated volunteers like Randee that give of themselves selflessly to help make our House a home away from home for the families that we serve. Thank you Randee for all you do for the Holcombe House families and staff!

Jasmine Avila is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for May 2017.

Jasmine began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in December 2016 and has completed over 47 hours of service. Jasmine has been very helpful with keeping our MDA family lounge clean and welcoming for our families. Jasmine is eager to learn ways to help the manager on duty. She is always ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She will come in early or stay for additional shifts if needed. In high school she was part of a children development class called Buddies. She was assigned a student with disabilities and helped them with their daily review and helped the organization raise funds for the class. Jasmine enjoys helping others and hopes to become an elementary school teacher in the near future and continue her road to helping others.

Kristian Erik Jonsson is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for May 2017.

Kristian began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in June 2014 and has completed over 153 hours of service. We are so happy to have him as a part of our team! He is extremely dependable, and can be counted on to be here for his shift every time he’s scheduled. Kristian is very thorough and spends his entire shift making sure the family rooms have everything they need. He is kind to the families and is a great team player – always happy to help anywhere we need him. We are thankful for Kristian’s continued dedication to RMH at TCH!

Emily Kloppenburg is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for May 2017.

Emily began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in September 2016 and has completed over 46 hours of service. Emily is a faithful and consistent volunteer. She is tremendously helpful to our Sunday managers! She is a hard worker and diligent at completing tasks. Emily not only does all of her work with excellence, but with a smile on her face as well. We are so grateful to have Emily as a part of the CMHH team!

Chance Marshall is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for May 2017.

Chance began volunteering with RMH Houston in April 2015 and has completed over 156 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Chance is a go getter and never sits still during his shift because he is constantly helping out the House and the Families. He initiates things to do instead of waiting to be asked or just doing what’s expected during his volunteer time. He continuously goes above and beyond and has even on a couple instances helped me play maintenance when families toilets weren’t working or they had internet connectivity problems. Chance has an amazing rapport with the families and is friendly, helpful and kind. We also appreciate that he is here on his Saturdays on time and ready to go from the moment he walks in the door. He has also stayed past his scheduled time to leave when its busy, he’s helping with something or there is no volunteer after him and just does it without question. We appreciate Chance and he is a huge asset to RMH.

Mireya Cruz is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for April 2017.

Mireya began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in July 2015 and has completed over 80 hours of service. Mireya is a kind hearted individual that always has a smile for the patients and their parents. She is hard working and strives to make sure the kitchen always is an area where families feel comfortable and welcomed at all times. She greets families when they walk in and makes an effort at holding the door open for them when they leave. Mireya is an overall great volunteer!

Victoria Tidwell is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for April 2017.

Victoria began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in November 2014 and has completed over 154 hours of service. Victoria is a kindhearted and amazing person. She is dedicated to helping and serving families in our Family Rooms, and helps anywhere we need her if we have low volunteer coverage. She loves to bake cookies for the families and she does an awesome job in fulfilling her volunteer duties. She does a great job making sure our Family Rooms are in compliance with safety and health codes, and is a stellar fridge-cleaner! She always has a smile on her face and makes families feel comfortable. She speaks with compassion and respect to everyone who crosses her path. We are so blessed to have Victoria as a volunteer!

Terry Taylor is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for April 2017.

Terry began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in August 2016 and has completed over 62 hours of service. Terry is a consistent, kind, and hardworking volunteer. Terry always arrives on time and usually stays longer than 3 hours to ensure we have everything we need. Terry is kind to our families, other volunteers, and to hospital personnel. We can always count on her to work hard and be willing to do any task put in front of her with a smile on her face. Terry always goes above and beyond and we are so grateful to have her on our team.

Christopher Pollard is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for April 2017.

Christopher began volunteering with RMH Houston in November 2013 and has completed over 215 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. In his 3 years Christopher has not let his non-traditional mode of transportation stop or hinder his volunteer commitment. Chris graciously helps sign in the therapy dogs, and family visitors all with a smile on his face. Chris is willing to assist with any task asked of him and enthusiastically makes all of the evening announcements. Chris is a wonderful volunteer who takes pride in his commitment and always lets us know when he is not able to make his shifts. I believe that for his commitment and willingness to always help when he can, that Chris is more than deserving of the April Volunteer of the month honor.

Emily Schupp is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for March 2017.

Emily began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in June 2016 and has completed over 53 hours of service. Emily is one of our wonderful Junior League volunteers. Since her very first day, Emily comes in with a bright smile ready to serve our RMH families. Emily’s shift includes our Bingo nights where she makes sure the families enjoy themselves and that every patient wins a prize. She also facilitates Junior Leagues, “Arts and Crafts night”; where she interacts with the patients and assists them with their art activity. If there is not an activity scheduled during her shift, Emily will go to the patients rooms and deliver cookies. Before she leaves her shift Emily will always ask “Is there something else I can help with before I go? ” We are very happy to have her as one of our Junior League Volunteers.

Allison Wheeler is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for March 2017.

Allison began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in March 2015 and has completed over 154 hours of service. Allison is a wonderful volunteer with a kind heart and such a giving spirit! She is willing to help anywhere we need her, and is happy to pick up sub shifts (even on holidays!). She also makes time to volunteer at RMH special events, and she often donates supplies that we’re in need of. She is a fantastic part of our team, and her cheerfulness, helpfulness, and industriousness makes our families feel welcome and right at home.

Vanessa McCrary is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for March 2017.

Vanessa began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in July 2016 and has completed over 62 hours of service. Vanessa is one of our faithful weekend volunteers! Vanessa consistently shows up for her shift and she is always on time and works hard for her entire shift. Vanessa is not only faithful and consistent, but she always arrives with a smile and compassion for our families. We are so grateful to have Vanessa on our team!

Louise Dull is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for March 2017.

Louise began volunteering with RMH Houston in June 2006 and has completed over 329 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Louise has been preparing wonderful meals faithfully for our families with HJW for almost 11 years. The hot meals are one of the most appreciated services we offer our families. Louise always comes with a smile and open heart to serve the families that call our House their home away from home. We are so grateful for Louise and her years of continued service of preparing wonderful hot meals with HJWC.

Kamile Prochaska is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for February 2017.

Kamile began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in March 2016 and has completed over 54 hours of service. Kamile is a wonderful and caring volunteer. She loves to come in to her volunteer shifts; every time she comes in she says “I am so happy to be here, it just makes my day”. She interacts wonderfully with the families and always greets them with a smile. Kamile will ask the families if they need assistance and will guide them to what they may need. Kamile will also come in for special activities if we are in need of extra help such as Flashes of Hope, 5 Star Day or a meal donation. We are very happy and lucky to have Kamile as one of our volunteers.

Clarissa Salazar is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for February 2017.

Clarissa began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in January 2014 and has completed over 158 hours of service. Clarissa is a kind and a good hearted person. Clarissa has been super helpful and she truly enjoys volunteering for our House. She is a great team player and works wonderfully with other volunteers. She is always greeting our families with a welcoming smile. She also communicates very well with our families and enjoys going up to our family rooms. Clarissa does not hesitate when asked for extra help around our House. She shows a lot of dedication to RMH and rarely misses a shift. We are so happy to have Clarissa as a part of our team!

Ashley Reinhardt is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for February 2017.

Ashley began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in August 2016 and has completed over 45 hours of service. Ashley Reinhardt is the true definition of a stellar volunteer. We can depend on Ashley to interact positively with our families, eagerly execute her duties as a volunteer during her shifts, and without fail show up with a positive attitude and a warm smile. She faithfully volunteers each Tuesday night and she gives 100% of her personal effort 100% of the time. Her devotion to our cause, her faithful attendance and her consistent positive attitude make her a joy to be around

Jo Howard is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for February 2017.

Jo began volunteering with RMH Houston in April 1997 and has completed over 184 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House.  Jo comes monthly to cook with Houston Juniors Woman’s Club since 2001. Our families are so grateful for the wonderful meals that HJW prepares weekly for them.  Jo has a long history of dedication to the families that call our House their home away from home.  Our team and families are very appreciative of Jo Howard’s years of hard work and dedication.

Mary Fischer is the RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Volunteer of the Month for January 2017.

Mary began volunteering at RMH Houston at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in September 2015 and has completed over 66 hours of service. Mary has the biggest smile this side of the equator and the families comment on that famous smile all of the time! Mary has a unique way of making the patients and their families feel special, she gives each person individualized attention and makes sure that everyone has a smile after visiting the RMHH kitchen. The patients love to talk to her and make her laugh because she has “the best belly laugh” according to one very special eight year old, who asks for Mary every single time he is inpatient and thinks we are so unfair for not allowing Mary to come volunteer….daily!

Angelica Medina is the RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital Volunteer of the Month for January 2017.

Angelica began volunteering at RMH Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital in September 2013 and has completed over 157 hours of service. Angelica Medina is a wonderful volunteer, and she has a knack for calling right when we need volunteers the most and offering to come in. She is so helpful, and works hard during her shift to accomplish everything we need done. Her expertise in all family rooms and the House are so helpful to us, and her kindness and compassion she shows everyone makes the families feel right at home. We are so glad to have a stellar sub volunteer like Angelica as a part of our team!

Joy Etucks is the RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Volunteer of the Month for January 2017.

Joy began volunteering at RMH Houston at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in October 2015 and has completed over 57 hours of service. Joy is a faithful volunteer who loves to come and serve our families. She truly exudes “joy” as her name states. She loves to get a long list of tasks and accomplish them all during her 3 hours. She stays busy with behind the scene tasks, but also loves to bake cookies and interact with our families when she is able. We are so grateful to have Joy on our team!

Gaynell Lira is the Holcombe House Volunteer of the Month for January 2017.

Gaynell began volunteering with RMH Houston in January 2015 and has completed over 160 hours of service with the families of Holcombe House. Gaynell is a dedicated Friday afternoon volunteer that has a love for helping the families that call our House their home away from home. She was the team leader every time Greystar provided a meal for our families, which is quarterly, until she retired about 2 years ago. At that time, she became a regular volunteer for our House. She still makes sure that Greystar continues their quarterly meals for our families. Gaynell has put together a team of family and friends for the past several years to come in and prepare a “full feast” on Thanksgiving. The holidays are extra difficult for our families to be away from home and dealing with their child’s medical situation. Gaynell and her caring team want to make sure that bring a little extra comfort to them on Thanksgiving Day. It is because of these reasons and many others that our team is excited to recognize Gaynell Lira as our January Volunteer of the Month.