Casa Que O Amor Construiu.

The House That Love Built

Despite all of the horrific and horrible things happening in this world today, there are so many awesome and inspiring things happening each day. While it sometimes feels like there is, there is not shortage of love all around us. We just need to open our eyes to it.

Here in Rio de Janeiro, we have our fair share of crappy things happening. But we also have teenagers donating their time to so many social projects throughout the city. We have elementary students going barefoot to raise awareness for the social injustices of the world as well as donating their old shoes to children who need them. And we have amazing organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House helping thousands of families throughout the world every day.

My first contact with the Ronald McDonald House (affectionately known as RMH) came while in college. I was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority whose national philanthropy is RMH. Each year we held various philanthropy events to raise money for RMH, each semester we would drive up the RMH in Cleveland to spend and evening cooking dinner or crafting with the kids, and we were ALWAYS collecting pop tabs. Always. 

After graduating and moving to Honduras, I didn't really have the opportunity to be directly involved with RMH as one does not even exist in Honduras. The closest one was in Guatemala. I hardly left my little city in Honduras, let alone the country. 

And so I forgot. I forgot about all of the awesome things that RMH does for families.

The McDonalds here in Rio de Janiero is currently having this awesome promotion where you can buy a Triplo Bacon for R$6.50. In English, a triple cheeseburger with bacon for about $2. I know, I know. It sounds like heaven, but it's really just Rio de Janeiro.

Nautrally, I'm not going to pass up a deal like that. So as I stood in line waiting for my Triplo Bacon, I noticed a collection box at the register. The change, of course, would be donated to RMH of Rio de Janeiro. 

After a quick Google search, I see that RMH is located near Maracana. I don't frequent that area often, but my friend and I had rented a car the other weekend and happened to be out that way, so I asked to stop.

And then I remembered. I remembered all of the awesome things that RMH does for families.

RMH truly is the house that love built.