Ronald McDonald House Charities Curaçao Foundation is carried by its tireless passionate volunteers. Our volunteers not only welcome families at the hospital’s RMHC facility, but they also support them with a listening ear, with advice and by serving as an intermediate between families and organizations when needed. And they clean! Our volunteers clean the living areas, the sleeping quarters, wash the linen and the families clothing and take care of any unforeseen unclean situations that arise. “The way we care for the families is so loving that many think we are paid employees”, explains a smiling RMHC-volunteer Daymaris Marchena.
Daymaris is a young woman in her very early twenties, with a bright smile and kind eyes. She is currently studying at the University of Curaçao in order to achieve her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, while working as an intern at Stichting Slachtofferhulp Curaçao. And she volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House Charities Curaçao located at Curaçao Medical Center. Parents and children’s faces brighten up when they are greeted by her at the RMHC, as she serves them with so much joy, it’s impossible not to see how much she cares for their wellbeing. Often times they are shocked to learn she is not a hospital employee, but a volunteer. “Sometimes parents ask me if I like my job. They think it’s an additional paid service, due to the beautiful facility and the great treatment they receive. When I tell them that we are all volunteers and that the facility has been put in place in order for each of them to be supported and cared for, their reaction is one of major surprise and sometimes even emotional”, Daymaris shares, “But I’m not a medical caregiver or hospital employee. What I am is a volunteer that is here…for them.”
Although she’s quite young, she has had her share of heartbreaking experiences. As a teenager she was the main care-giver for her mother, who had a chronical disease. Daymaris spent years caring for her mother, until she passed away. It was a difficult period of time to heal from. However, it guided Daymaris towards her passion, which is helping others. Choosing Social Work as her study, interning at a victim support organization and volunteering at RMHC have all been a part of her following her passion, as she has an eye for people in need of compassion and support. Parents visiting the RMHC when they need a breather, sometimes start off by thinking she is a waiter in the facility’s kitchen. “I don’t mind at all. They have so much on their shoulders. So much stress and sadness on their minds. I bring them coffee and something to eat and then sit by them, ask how they are doing and offer my shoulder to cry on or a listening ear. They need to know that we, as volunteers, are here for them, to comfort them in their time of need.”
Each volunteer at Ronald Mc Donald House Charities Curaçao Foundation, in their own special way, offers support to families of children staying at the hospital for medical care. Their helping hands, listening ears and pro-active support are a source of comfort and ease for the families going through a difficult period of time while their child is receiving medical care at or through Curaçao Medical Center. Our volunteers freely offer their time and energy for which the RMHC is eternally grateful. More volunteers are needed to welcome and care for the families. Become a volunteer. Click here to register. Thank you!
