16 Jul Melody Hysinger – Faces of RMHC
One of our “best kept secrets” here at the Ronald McDonald House in Amarillo is our “Gifts from the Heart” Toy Delivery Program. Though this program is currently on a hiatus as we continue to face the coronavirus pandemic and focus our efforts on keeping our hospitals as safe as possible, in normal times we visit BSA and NWTHS twice weekly to deliver a gift or toy to each and every pediatric patient. Just last year, we distributed more than 2,500 gifts to kids in our area hospitals, in an effort to help bring out a smile, and some hope and joy to their lives. One volunteer who is in charge of helping to coordinate this program and make it happen every single week is Melody Hysinger.
“I love seeing the kids in the hospitals when I deliver toys. To see a smile on the face of a sick child when they see the toy is awesome. I think my volunteer job is the best one. 🙂 Sometimes the parents or kids send sweet notes telling us what a difference the toy made for their child’s hospital stay. Those notes are awesome.”
Though she is now a resident of Amarillo, Melody grew up in Turkey, TX, where she recalls having a friend battling Cystic Fibrosis. She spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals, where the Ronald McDonald House frequently served as a refuge for her family. After getting divorced, Melody was looking for a positive outlet to refocus her thoughts and energy, and a quick internet search brought her to RMHC, where she recalled the good work she had heard about firsthand from her friend. Volunteering has been a positive force in Melody’s life, where she says the people involved help renew her faith in good-hearted, loving people in our world. Even though we are continuing to safely serve families at this time, our doors for other programs still remain partially closed. For now.
“I miss going to the RMH and talking to the kind people there, and I really miss taking the toys to the hospital. I’m so ready to get back to toy deliveries.”
When she first started in the program, Melody was living in Clarendon and would commute in to town every single week just to help out! Despite continuing to work full-time, Melody is also fully invested in writing a children’s book! She is taking the process slowly, but managing to have quite a lot of fun in doing so. She has had some down time in the evenings, where she has enjoyed writing, reading, and playing with dogs, and wishing she could just go out to shop and eat! As far as her McDonald’s eating habits are concerned, she says she’s a “big mac and fries” kind of gal, all the way. Movie theaters are another place that she misses right now, but Melody has enjoyed partaking in some Netflix binge-watching at home, including Grand Design, The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes, Restaurants on the Edge, Somebody Feed Phil, and Stay Here. As for where she wants to go when this whole season is behind us all?
“Traveling. I’m so ready to be able to feel like I can jump on a plane and go anywhere I want without worrying about this pandemic. I love travel and usually take several trips a year. This has really made me realize how much I love to see new places.”
Distributing more than 2,500 gifts to children really takes a great deal of investment and work..Santa Clause could vouch for that, and so could Melody! We are beyond grateful to have her on board at Team RMHC to make this happen each and every week.