04 Mar Building a Legacy – Karen Overhoff

Kids are so important to me. Everything in my life has always been centered around kids: My family, my 2 sons and 7 grandchildren, my career as a kindergarten and 1st grade teacher, and my free time as a volunteer with Lancaster Central School District. Retiring 5 years ago gave me the opportunity to pick the next chapter of my life and focus on what’s really important to me. Becoming a volunteer at the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House was an offshoot of everything I did in my life channeled to a different place.

For me it’s not about one person volunteering, it’s about all the people you can have join you. So, with a few girlfriends, we became the “Glammas”, donating our time each month to cooking meals for the families who stay at the Buffalo House (as part of their Cooks for Kids program). My significant other Pete, a regular Tuesday volunteer at the House, also joined us in the kitchen many times. The more time I spent at Ronald McDonald House, the more attached I became to the spirit of the House.

Life took a turn when Pete became critically ill. I accompanied Pete on his journey from hospital to hospital and stayed at his bedside. As Pete’s condition worsened, I began making soft pillowcases for him at the hospital. I would say to him each night “No matter what happened today, when you put your head on this pillowcase, you are surrounded by love”.

Spending time at Pete’s bedside, I saw first-hand what it was like for other patients to be alone. It made me want to do so much more. After Pete passed away, I founded Pete’s Pillows Charity, which distributes handmade children’s hats, bibs, blankets, and pillowcases to the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House and Family Lounge. It started with a few volunteers and grew each day. It’s a legacy to Peter, our love of children, and the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House.

Returning to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House after Pete passed felt like returning to a loving home. I continued as a Glamma and took over Pete’s Tuesday volunteer spot at the House. The more time I spent at the house, I quickly realized that being at the Ronald McDonald House is like being at home. Everyone embraces everyone else. No matter your job and daily tasks, everything is done with a sense of love. That’s what generates everything that people do here.

I always leave here with a sense of peace. No matter what’s happening in my world, it puts things into perspective and gives you a reality check.

You feel the love in the house; each night, the children are cradled and surrounded by love when they lay their heads down to sleep. Isn’t that all that really matters?

– Karen Overhoff