Youth Venture

We work with the Ronald McDonald House and Albany Medical Center.

Our team, Build a Bear to Show You Care, consists of 8 eighth grade girls. We started this group in November 2006 as a Roots and Shoots group. Roots and Shoots is an organization founded by Jane Goodall to help the environment, wildlife/animals, and the human community. In December 2006, we applied for a grant from Youth Venture. When February came around, we were thrilled to find out that we had earned a $750 grant, after an over-the-phone conference (which was very stressful for a few members of the group who dislike the telephone).
Thus far, we have volunteered twice at the Ronald McDonald House, built bears at Build A Bear Workshop, baked desserts for the RMH, and we've thrown a party at the pediatric floor at Albany Medical Center.
We chose to work with the Ronald McDonald House because we wanted to show the children there that people do care about them. While most people complain when they are sick with a cold or the flu, we really have it easy. These kids have to face numerous surgeries and treatments for their illnesses. Furthermore, they won't just have these illnesses for a week or so. These kids have been sick for a long time, and will be for a while longer. By donating the bears to the Ronald McDonald House, the kids there know that they are not alone in their fights.
The Ronald McDonald House tries to create a 'home away from home' for the patients. They provide meals, cheap room and board for them and their families, and provides medical and dental insurance. The House allows families to be together while they face their illnesses. They also provide a Ronald McDonald Family Room in the hospitals so families can take a break during the exhausting days.