On Saturday October 22, Tri-State Members (Tara Yancy, Cissy Van Sickle, Sarah Bauder, Precious Smith, Horace Burrell, Taisha Winters and Jacqui Daughtry-Miller) came out to cook breakfast for those families who were staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Washington D.C. We were also delighted to have Sarah’s son, Andrew Bauder, come out to assist. As soon as we arrived, everybody got to the business of making breakfast!

Tara, our Tri-State Community Outreach Chair and the coordinator of this event, was a jack-of-all-trades, including getting our pictures for this article. Sarah and Precious made the french toast with Cissy’s secret ingredient; Horace, Andrew and Taisha made the bacon while Jackie and Cissy made sure that everyone who wanted to eat was served and had everything they needed at their table. Andrew showed his culinary skills by making eggs for the residents.

The residents, who were there because their child is suffering from some type of illness that needs hospital care, were very appreciative for our efforts. Some families ate quickly and said thank you as they left to go to the hospital to tend to their children, while others stayed and talked to us. It was a nice opportunity to engage in lighthearted conversation since a great deal of their time is spent tending to the needs of their children who have very serious health issues. After cleaning up and stocking their refrigerators with extra goodies, our Tri-State group reflected on how each of us were thankful to be in the company of each other, family and friends. Let us all remember that reflection as we embark on the holiday season.