Carpenter Marty Transportation staff, and their families, are happy to continue our charitable commitments with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio. We are proud to participate in their Pop Tab Collection Program and Meal Program. These programs help provide comfort and support to families that have seriously ill children in the hospital.

Through the meal program, Carpenter Marty Transportation staff and their families volunteer to serve a meal to the families staying in the home. This year, we decided to provide the families with a meal catered by Hoggy’s. Dinner options included BBQ chicken and pork, macaroni and cheese, green beans with bacon, and chocolate candy cane cupcakes.  We were truly touched by the level of appreciation from our seemingly small contribution, and we were amazed by the level of support from volunteers, donors and staff.

Our annual Pop Tab Collection provided the House with more than 8 pounds of tabs this year.  That’s more than a pound over what we were able to gather in 2014! Thank you to all who contributed to our donation. The Ronald McDonald House is able to generate thousands of dollars every year through this program. We’ve already started our 2016 collection and can’t wait to see if we can top this year’s weight!

After turning in our tabs and serving dinner, we went on a tour. We saw the Columbus Blue Jacket floor, the Ohio State Buckeye floor, the princess room, the 4-story treehouse (which even has slides), and so many other floors/rooms that have been made possible through sponsorships. We learned that the current Ronald McDonald House is actually the third house for Nationwide Children’s Hospital long-term guests. The current building has been standing for more than six years, but you would never know it’s been there that long. The House is immaculate and looks freshly painted. The decorations and designs are current and have not a speck of dust on them.  The (donated) La-Z-Boy recliners in the theatre room don’t even have creases in the leather, and the staff are as welcoming and friendly as we imagine they were on opening day.

The Ronald McDonald House is operated through the generosity of donors.  Donations help the House support families of seriously ill children with a home away from home.  As mentioned by our tour guide, Curly, some of these families fly into Columbus on a moment’s notice because of their child’s grave need for treatment. Often families don’t have the time or resources to bring all their necessities.  Families focus on making it to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where they’ll receive the critical care their child needs from some of the best doctors in the world.  Until we have been in the situation these families are in, we may never know what it feels like to sacrifice everything. But, we can be there to support them during a time when they need it most.

How can you get involved?  Save your tabs and visit their volunteer page to see how you can contribute.