Mc House near Community Medical Center in Missoula, MT(?)

[Guest guest]

After years of labor and fundraising, the Mc House is nearly

ready to open its doors to seriously ill children and their families

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/03/26/news/top/news01.txt

Honabach, 11, adjusted her lap blanket and looked up at her mother,

Sheri Evins, who held the handles on her daughter's wheelchair.

The pair toured the comfortable, carpeted living room of the just-finished

Mc House near Community Medical Center. Honabach, who has

juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, has spent the past four weeks in the

hospital. Her mother has slept on a cot at her bedside.

" We could use this today, " Evins said. She lives in Polson and drives back

and forth more times than she'd like to think.

Although the nonprofit Mc House's official ribbon-cutting

ceremony was Saturday morning, the facility won't be able to fill its eight

family suites for another few weeks.

" By then, we won't need it. I hope we won't need it, " Evins said.

Honabach and her mom were two of more than 120 visitors and supporters who

wended through the new house late Saturday morning and into the afternoon.

It has been a project long in the works. Seven years ago, a group of

supporters put their heads together and decided to try to start the process.

Five years ago, the effort gathered steam. It hasn't been easy, said Barry

Olson, president of the nonprofit's board.

The house, part of a national organization that provides homes near medical

facilities for seriously ill children and their families, cost about $2.6

million. The board raised about $2.1 million from some 3,500 donors, said

director Barbara Wickel.

" We've still got a lot of work to do, " Wickel said.

The lawn has yet to be landscaped. Some trees have been planted. A few small

boulders have been strewn about, and there's dirt where the grass will be.

But those final touches have mostly been arranged, Wickel said. Another of

her concerns is the nonprofit's operating budget, which will amount to some

$280,000 per year. It costs a lot to house eight families.

Also, the house may be expanded to include a wing with eight more family

suites. A number of fundraising events have been planned for the near

future, including the " Art from the Heart " art auction April 22. It will

coincide with the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn.

Over the past five years, rising construction costs sometimes seemed to

outpace fundraising for the Mc House. In the end, some of the

features had to be eliminated, such as a garage, a full basement and an

elevator, Olson said.

Without generous donations from contractors and others, the house would

never have been completed, Wickel said.

The demand is there, Wickel said. The house needed to get finished.

Inside, the house was breathtakingly beautiful. The meticulously decorated

living room has high, vaulted ceilings with exposed beams. It also has a

grand stone-and-tile fireplace, leather couches and comfortable overstuffed

chairs.

Near the doorway to the kitchen stands " Hope, " a carousel horse in red and

yellow and wearing Mc-style clown shoes. himself was

there in person to pose with kids as well as the occasional adult.

The kitchen and dining area, a total of about 1,200 square feet of open

space, ought to easily accommodate eight families.

The room's broad windows looked west over soccer fields toward Blue

Mountain.

" Isn't it a beautiful view? " asked volunteer .

gave tours of the roomy suites, with their comfortable beds and no

TV, to encourage families to gather for support and companionship in the

house's common areas.

She and a friend from church volunteered together. Both attend the Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lolo.

Near the front door, Butch and Colleen Baldwin greeted curious visitors.

Butch is part of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. He retired last

October from a career making vinyl windows. He's still working part time, he

said, although the work never interferes with his fishing. He was pleased

because 40 visitors had put their names onto volunteer sign-up sheets.

A pair of young teens stood in the entryway, thanking those on the way out.

Lucy Peraino, 13, got involved because her mother has been a volunteer for

the past five years for the Mc House.

Windecker, also 13, joined her friend on the effort about a week ago.

They've spent a lot of time stuffing envelopes.

" It's always been there. I've been hearing (my mom) talk about it forever. I

can't believe it's done, " Peraino said.