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Meet the Volunteer: Pat Ennis

RMHNYCM

Pat Ennis is one of our most senior volunteers! She is 89 years young and as active as ever.

Pat joined the Ronald McDonald House volunteer team 14 years ago, just as she retired from her position as Vice President of Cosmetics at Bloomingdale’s.

Pat says it was a former coworker who encouraged her to volunteer with us. She says she is so grateful for that referral.

“The organization runs like a top,” she says. “It’s amazing.”

You name it, Pat does it! From assisting with cleaning, visiting our families at the hospital, making sure families have what they need to feel comfortable, giving tours, etc.

When Pat is not at the Ronald McDonald House, she is volunteering at other organizations including her local church, the Syosset Hospital and Life Center.

She is an avid gym-goer and completes six miles each day! Pat’s artificial heart valve, hip and knee replacements do not stop her for a second. “You just have to keep moving,” she says.

Pat says the Ronald McDonald House has a special place in her heart because she sees how valuable having a place to go during a time of hardship can be. She says back when her grandson was 18 months old, he developed spinal meningitis and required intensive care. She recalls the adversity it brought to her family and now reflects on how special a place like the Ronald McDonald House could have been.

Pat raves about the inspiration that comes out of her time volunteering, and the amazing things that happen on a daily basis. She says she especially appreciates being part of the camaraderie of it all.

“Something good always happens [at the Ronald McDonald House,]” she says.