Volunteers of the Year: Barbara and Alfred Caracciolo
Barbara and Al are go-getters! They both volunteer at our Ronald McDonald Family Room program at MD Anderson and Barbara also volunteers at Holcombe House. The families, kids and staff look forward to them volunteering, simply because of the love and the smiles they freely share with others. In addition to their regularly scheduled shifts, they also volunteer extra hours during special activities, because they want to make sure the kids have the best party, the best character visits, the best service, the most delicious food, and the freshest cookies! Whether it is dressing up as an Elf, Mr. Conductor, Paw-Patrol, Santa’s helper, a reindeer or Olaf, cleaning and carrying things from one floor to another, spending precious time with parents and lending a listening ear, or playing with the kiddos who come into the kitchen because the sweet smell of fresh cookies has “called” them in, RMHH is blessed to have amazing volunteers as Al and Barbara as part of our team!
Volunteers of the Month
Holcombe House
January 2020 – Margie Esse
January’s Volunteer of the Month is Margie Esse! Margie embodies our core principle – compassion. She always goes above and beyond in making sure that families feel cared for at Holcombe House. Her gentle spirit, sweet smile and kind heart have been an amazing asset to our volunteer corp. No matter how big (or small) the task at hand, Margie jumps in, ready to serve.
February 2020 – Ashley Deible
Ashley has been a dedicated intern at Holcombe House since the fall of 2019. She has shown constant commitment to the patients, families and the entire organization. She finds ways to help grow the program, mentor her peers and supports all the staff on an ongoing basis. Ashley develops bonds with the families that she serves and helps make their time here with us much easier. She has been an exceptional volunteer. Her supervisor shared she’s lucky to have had the opportunity to precept her during the past 2 semesters. She will be greatly missed when she completes her internship at RMH Houston in April, but wherever she goes will much better off for having her.
March 2020 – Gilda Benedetti
Gilda is a warm and compassionate volunteer, always looking for ways to help our families at the House. She always takes a “can do” approach to her job at the welcome desk and is willing to help out however possible. Gilda speaks multiple languages which is such an asset on the phones, as well as for our onsite families who may originate from other countries. Gilda is also an avid Mogie lover and he is always excited to see her when she comes in for her shift! We are so grateful for her gentle and loving nature which truly makes Holcombe House feel like a home away from home.
May 2020 – Marilyn Bick
Marilyn has come in willing to serve since day one. She has been eager to learn and get involved with the House. She demonstrates grace and patience when interacting with families and visitors. Recently, although volunteers are restricted on-site currently, she has not stopped her support. Instead, she’s volunteered to pick up groceries for families several times! We are so happy that she’s a part of our Holcombe House team!
RMH Texas Children’s Hospital
January 2020 – Jo Gibson
Jo is such a marvelous volunteer! She has dedicated so much of her time to RMH Houston, and we are so grateful for the countless mornings she’s offered to help when we’re short-handed. She’s always willing to pitch in and help with anything we need. She has gone above and beyond by cross-training for the Family Rooms, as well as becoming a volunteer trainer. Jo’s kindness and cheerfulness makes every family she encounters feel welcome and cared for. We are so thankful that Jo is part of our team!
February 2020 – Shinoko Williams
Shiniko is a wonderful volunteer! She’s very dependable and great at handling any situation that arises at our front desk. She’s warm and welcoming to families, and works hard to keep our House clean and stocked. We’re thankful for her dedication to RMH!
March 2020 – Viri Galvez
Viri was an amazing intern, and lucky for us, she stayed on after her internship and has been a great sub volunteer ever since! Her dedication to RMH’s mission is wonderful, and we really appreciate her willingness to do anything she can to support our families. Her interactions with patients and their parents are truly heartwarming, and she brings comfort, compassion, and positivity to every family she encounters. We are so happy that she’s a part of our team!
May 2020 – Tami Grubb
Tami has been so wonderfully helpful to RMHH! She often picks up sub shifts when we need extra help, and she’s happy to help wherever we need her most. She’s contributed so much by sponsoring meals for our families – we are so thankful for her gifts of a Thanksgiving feast and meals for families now during this time of Coronavirus restrictions. Tami is such a helpful, positive, and hard-working part of our team, and we’re so glad to have her support!
June 2020 – Kathy Childress
Kathy is such a kindhearted and generous volunteer! She’s always happy to help and offers to pick up extra shifts whenever we need a hand. She’s so welcoming and treats every family with genuine compassion. Kathy has been a generous supporter of RMHH and even provided a much-needed meal for our families during this difficult period of Coronavirus restrictions. She’s a great team player and RMHH staff as well as other volunteers really enjoy working with her. We’re so glad to have her on our team!
RMH Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
January 2020 – Kim Berry
Kim is a great asset to RMH at CMHH. Kim understands our mission and looks forward to helping out any way that she is able. Kim is compassionate and caring with the families as if the families are her own. Thank you, Kim for your faithfulness and hardworking attitude! We are so grateful to have you on our team!
February 2020 – Mayra Dragustinovis
Mayra has always been steady and faithful – from day one! Her first shift here was a challenging one as she experienced many different and unique situations with our families. She handled each one like a champ and even came back for her next shift! Mayra is an incredibly hard worker and she stays busy from the start of her shift until the end. Mayra is kind and shows compassion to our hospital partners and to our families. Mayra is quick to say yes and even fill in for an extra shift here and there when she is able. It’s volunteers like Mayra that are the heart of our program. Thank you for being a part of our team here at RMH at CMHH, Mayra!
March 2020 – Tameika Yong
Tamieka is an excellent volunteer and it is with great joy we nominate her for Volunteer of the Month. She has compassion for our families, and also an eye for detail. Tamieka has the heart of a servant and she greets everyone with a smile that will help put your heart at ease. Tamieka comes faithfully to volunteer on her shift and even helps out on holidays and special occasions! Thank you, Tamieka for helping to make RMHH at CMHH a home away from home for our families! We are so grateful to have you on our team!
August 2020 – Jennifer Moore
Jennifer Moore has been a wonderful asset to us at CMHH over the last couple of years. We miss getting to see her in person every other Wednesday morning, but even in her absence, she is blessing our families! Jennifer provided a weekly meal for our families in July and will be continuing through the month of August! It’s been such a gift to them to stay close to the unit and not have to risk exposure by leaving the hospital. Thank you, Jennifer, for your kind heart and desire to bless our families even when you’re not physically here! We are so grateful you are a part of our team!
RMH MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital
January 2020 – Marisol Tinoco
To become a volunteer with Ronald McDonald House Houston is no small endeavor, as it attracts some of Houston’s most altruistic and kindhearted individuals the city has to offer. Within her time as a volunteer, Marisol has demonstrated superb attention to detail when it concerns fostering a nurturing space for families and the patients of M.D. Anderson’s Children’s Cancer Hospital. Marisol radiates kindness when welcoming a family into Ronald McDonald House Houston and is supportive of family concerns and questions when providing brief tours of the many family spaces in the hospital.
Additionally, Marisol has demonstrated her leadership skills when attending the kitchen and common spaces at Ronald McDonald House Houston while managers are away facilitating administrative matters. I have been impressed by Marisol’s keen sense of anticipating challenges which may arise during each volunteer shift and she works closely with staff to enact solutions. Whether her task might be baking cookies and striking up a conversation with a family having received devastating news, or taking inventory of supplies and assisting staff with special projects, Marisol always wears a smile and enjoys dedicating part of her weekend to support appreciative families undergoing crises.
February 2020 – Gabrielle Davis
Gabby is an exceptional volunteer. For example, when a parent was feeling alone, she read to the patient and give his mom company every time she was here. It is moments like those that show us what a sweet, humble, and caring young lady we have in our team that took the time out of her day to come and serve our families with much love and care. We are grateful to have Gabby as part of our RMH MDA volunteer team!