Service with a smile

We Energies employees, including members of its Women’s Development Network, provided, prepared and served dinner Thursday for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Wauwatosa.

Together the volunteers prepared fresh garden salad, watermelon and blueberry fruit salad, more than 20 pounds of meat for sloppy Joes, and nearly 1,000 tater tots, along with various relishes and desserts. Other employees who were unable to attend helped purchase food ahead of time.

The evening marked We Energies employees’ latest support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin, which provides a home away from home for families with children who are hospitalized. In 2016, in addition to volunteering for other Family Meal Program opportunities, they selected the organization to receive a $10,000 gift from the We Energies Foundation through the company’s Safety Charity Challenge. A similar $10,000 gift was made in 2015.

“It’s always good to give back to the community and see a smile on the kids’ and parents’ faces. They’ve been through so much,” said Cindy Gaffney, ITS Service Desk representative.

“As citizens, it’s our duty to serve those who are dealing with these major life issues. It’s important to let them know people care,” said Leonard Brown, operations supervisor – gas operations and third-time company volunteer for the Family Meal Program. “Everyone goes through things where they need to feel that others will say ‘I care about you and I support you.’”

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin’s Family Meal Program regularly provides meals for guest families who have spent the day with their seriously ill children receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Since 1984, the facility has provided more than 38,000 family stays for families from 569 Wisconsin communities, all 50 states and dozens of countries around the world. Contact Ronald McDonald House Charities at 414-475-5333 for more information.