About a year and a half ago, Ray Vadalma first walked through the doors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho not as a volunteer, but as a grandfather. His granddaughter had just undergone a serious medical procedure across the street at St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center, and his family needed a place to land. While his granddaughter recovered, his daughter and son-in-law stayed at the House. That experience stayed with him long after his family returned home.
The following winter, Ray went looking for something meaningful to fill his time and thought back to those days. Now, Ray volunteers several times a month, often four to six shifts, helping keep the House running smoothly. His routine is simple but essential. He starts in the playroom, then moves through the game room, dining area, and kitchens, tidying and resetting each space for the next family. It is steady, hands-on work, the kind that makes a difference behind the scenes but is essential, especially for immunocompromised kids.
“The challenge of getting this (play)room back in shape,” he said, is one of the things he enjoys most.
Ray brings a quiet dedication to his role. He even showed up with his own leaf blower to help keep the outdoor areas clean. It is not something anyone asked him to do. It is just how he approaches the work.
Before retiring in 2022, Ray spent decades in banking, working in corporate lending and consulting across the West Coast. His career brought his family from Southern California to Sun Valley. When his daughter moved to McCall, he and his wife moved to Boise to be closer. These days, his schedule is more flexible, though it is still full. He and his wife travel often, but he always finds time to return to the House.
“The staff is phenomenal,” he said. “They’re very flexible with me.” That flexibility allows him to volunteer when he can, and it keeps him coming back.
What stands out most to Ray, though, are the families. He remembers a mother of premature twins who would be staying for an extended period, and moments that carry a quiet weight. Even in a place filled with resilience, there are reminders of how much families are going through. Ray approaches those moments with care, offering what he can, whether it is a clean space, a quick conversation, or simply being present.
For Ray, volunteering is about more than staying busy. “It gives me purpose” he says “You meet some very interestingpeople. It’s a great facility.”
And that sense of purpose is something he believes others can find here too.
“If you’re looking for something to do,” he said, “this would be hard to beat.”
Back home, his granddaughter is thriving. He says she’s full of life and energy. After everything, their family experienced, that outcome means everything.
At the House, Ray continues to show up, shift after shift, doing the small things that help make a hard time a little easier for someone else. It is work that often goes unnoticed, but it is felt by every family who walks through the door.
And for Ray, that is more than enough. “I really do enjoy this. I look forward to my two-hour shift whenever it comes up. So, thank you.” He says.
