Sam's Race For a Place

Vital Stats

Samantha U

Springfield, MA

  • people helped648
  • People Doing It 3

The Problem

Week in and week out, children from South America, Europe and other parts of the world come to the U.S. for specific orthopedic medical surgical treatments. Many of these kids have the operations at The Bay State Medical Center Children’s Hospital, Shiners’ Hospital and other hospitals in the Springfield, MA area. After the surgery these kids recuperate––for weeks and even months at a time––at the nearby Ronald McDonald House (RMH). The children are far away from their homes and oftentimes have trouble adjusting to the change, while constantly fighting off the feeling of being homesick. As a volunteer at the House, I am committed to helping these kids make the most of their stay, which in turn expedites their healing process. When I walk through those doors, my goal is to be a source of friendship, inspiration and comfort for these kids. My name is Samantha Udolf. I am sixteen years old and live in West Hartford, CT.

Plan of Action

I use my creativity to develop fun activities for the kids, which serves to keep them busy while giving them a sense of accomplishment. It also gives them a sense of group camaraderie, which eases the gravity of their situation and increases their comfort level. In addition to giving my time, I also donate my babysitting money to the House to help buy supplies. The House has a limited budget and much of the funding comes from private donations and limited corporate sponsorship, which in this economy has noticeably decreased.
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Physical and Mental Health

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