Home Cook Hero and Volunteer Stories
Thank you to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.-Omega Mu Omega Chapter for volunteering at the House on Martin Luther King Day for the sorority’s “We Are One” AKA Day of Service.
The group stocked the pantry with snacks and household essentials, organized and stored volunteer center donations, disposed of expired items, and prepared check-in packets and volunteer information bags!
Volunteers included living kidney donor Sue Levy Giles and her daughter Alexandria, who received a kidney transplant through a paired donor exchange involving her mom. Sue shared that the group “thoroughly enjoyed the meaningful projects we were given and hope that our efforts will contribute, even in a small way, to supporting the invaluable work your organization does for organ transplant recipients and their families.”
Major Milestone Alert!
Today, John and his group are celebrating their 100th visit of coming to cook in our kitchen! This is an amazing accomplishment and a true testament to the generosity and dedication of John and his group in serving transplant families at the House.
John Schmid and his volunteer group, “Friends of Bear”, are familiar faces here at the House. John, affectionately nicknamed, “Bear”, has been coming to cook in our kitchen since 2018. He started involving his family and friends, and has since become a prolific Home Cook Hero All-Star.
Thank you to the entire Friends of Bear community for your unwavering support of our mission!
We are excited to announce that the Transplant Information Center (TIC) Department at Gift of Life Donor Program has become the first department to earn the title of Home Cook Hero All-Star! This achievement recognizes TIC employees for volunteering their time to cook a meal for our families 12 times over the past year, earning their own All-Star plate in our kitchen!
A big thank you to the TIC Department for your dedication to serving transplant families at the House! Want to follow in their footsteps for 2025? Click here to schedule your Home Cook Hero dates now:
Our friends at the Transplant Alliance Foundation and Street Bingo recently held their 9th Annual Project Secret Santa event and generously donated $10,000 to support Gift of Life Howie’s House!
Father and daughter duo Ken Lovely and Danielle Bailey, along with support from Kenya Walker and many dedicated volunteers, run the Transplant Alliance Foundation in memory of their mother, wife, and friend, Mary Jo Lovely. Mary Jo co-founded the organization and was an avid advocate for organ donation, a DASH volunteer, and a recipient of two lung transplants. Mary Jo sadly passed away in 2021, and her family and community continue to run the Transplant Alliance Foundation to help raise funds for the House and other causes!
In addition to their recent successful Bingo fundraiser, our friends at the Transplant Alliance Foundation also held a wish-list drive to collect pantry staples for our guests at the House! Ken Lovely and Kenya Walker stopped by this week to donate their items, and we couldn’t be more grateful!
Thank you to Ken, Kenya, Danielle Bailey, and the entire State Street Bingo community for all you do for transplant patients and their families!
We’d like to give a special shout out to our friends at Organ Recovery Systems, who not only cooked a meal for our families tonight but also recently supported our Home Cook Heroes Program with a generous pledge of $100,000! Organ Recovery Systems has been a partner in caring for transplant families at the House since 2011, and we could not be more grateful for their support of our mission.
“Supporting Gift of Life Howie’s House is a true privilege – their unwavering dedication to caring for transplant patients and their families is nothing short of inspiring, and Organ Recovery Systems is honored to play a small part in their incredible mission. Our team especially loves participating in the Home Cook Heroes Program, where we can offer comfort through meals and contribute to the sense of community and care that Howie’s House provides”, says Kayla Andalina, ORS team member.
Thank you to Organ Recovery Systems for more than 13 years of steadfast support for transplant families at the House!
These memorable moments were submitted by Home Cook Hero volunteers. You can submit your favorite moments from volunteering in our kitchen, too! Click here to get started.
Team Name: Desiree Rivers Submitted by: Path to the Plate
“My family and I have had many great memories serving at the Howie’s House! One of my favorite moments was when we added games/prizes to our Home Cook Heroes dinner. On that same night, one of my volunteers shared her story about organ donation, which I was not aware of at the time. Her story was very touching and encouraging, not only to the guests but to the other volunteers as well. We all had such a great time conversing and eating with the guests and playing games. I am very grateful that my family and friends had the opportunity to share time with the many wonderful, brave and resilient guests at the FH.”
Team Name: Missy Gurmankin Submitted by: Gurmankins, Wortzels and Rosenthols
“Christmas Day 2012. Our friends, including our kids who were home from college, cooked a festive Christmas dinner at the Gift of Life Howie’s House. There was a beautiful family spending the holiday at the GOLFH while they waited for their young son to receive a lung transplant. Their entire family was there together along with ours. After dinner, we all sat down and created cookie cottages made from graham crackers and frosting and decorated with lots of candy. It was one of the most fun and memorable Christmases my family and friends have ever spent together. Thank you for the opportunity and the memories!”
Team Name: Mary Collin Submitted by: Fight Like Frank
“Our daughter, Christine (in white at left) organized several brunches in memory of her late husband, Frank. Frank donated kidneys, corneas, heart valves, and more after a brain aneurysm. Christine was a young widow and new mom to 8 month-old Lucas, working full-time as a special needs teacher. She managed to get us (mother of Frank; aunt; cousin; mom – me at right in green; dad; friends; others) together for this act of love. However, Gift of Life House was a lifeline for HER in this critical and sad time.”
Team Name: MTF Biologics Submitted by: Tracy LuCante
“Since we can’t be there in person we wanted to share this message with all of you at the Gift of Life Howie’s House.”Although we can’t be there, MTF Biologics is sending LOVE & SUPPORT. Let’s hold virtual hands. We’re all in this together. “Love, MTF Contracts, and National Accounts Department. ”
Team Name: Further Her in Action Submitted by: Robyn
“I am a Donor Mom and love what the Howie’s House does for families. My women’s empowerment company, Further Her in Action, loves to help me give back in this way. Yesterday was 17 years since my son died and I donated his organs.”
Team Name: Team Eddie XX Submitted by: Diane
“My husband Ed became an organ, eye and tissue donor on Nov 19, 1997. To honor Ed and celebrate 20 years of saving lives, my whole family joined me as we cooked a delicious meal for the grateful residents of the Howie’s House. It was truly a wonderful night!”
Team Name: Team Luca Submitted by: Rick
“Until recently (Covid) I would drive the Saturday AM Shuttle .
When my grandson was having his transplant, my daughter didn’t need to use the family House …But she met another mom at CHOP who was staying there. It was she (the friend) who sparked my interest in giving back to the Gift of Life Howie’s House .
Having Team Luca cook brunch on my Saturday was the best! Friends and family got to see firsthand what a great place the Howie’s House is and how good the staff and families make you feel for volunteering!
Amelia (who wasn’t even working ) came in to have brunch with us ! It was an awesome event for all.”
Team Name: Recycled Man Cooks Submitted by: Mark
“I received a heart transplant in 2008 at Hahnemann Hospital before the Howie’s House was built. My wife Terry and I were thrilled the join with Erin and Derek Fitzgerald and others to provide a wonderful Italian feast for the guests in January, 2020. Just a small way to give back!!!”
Team Name: Captivated by Collin’s Smile Submitted by: Nicole
“It’s hard to pick just one moment to share from our Home Cook Heroes experiences, because each one has been unique and special and so gratifying. But if I had to pick, I would have to say the times we served dinner on what would have been our son Collin’s birthday. While certainly not the way we would have ever dreamed we would spend his birthdays, it has turned out to be a great way for us to remember and celebrate him. The most memorable one would probably be what would have been Collin’s 16th birthday. We brought some of his favorite party foods and of course, we always bring birthday cake and sing to him. Various friends and family have joined us over the years and it has become a special tradition and our way of remembering and celebrating him. Collin became an organ donor at just 5 years old in November 2004. He generously donated both kidneys, his liver, intestine and heart. So cooking at the Howie’s House is the perfect way to honor him, his gifts and his recipients.”
Team Name: R.A.D. Family Submitted by: Amy
“Spending time with the families staying at the Howie’s House and playing bingo with them. They shared stories and it really just felt like we were having a Sunday dinner with an extended family. We are so grateful for Gift of Life and our family took on the name of R.A.D. to highlight that we are a family of recipients, advocates and donors and wanted to give back to our Gift of Life community in honor of my moms 70th and my 50th birthdays instead of having a party.”
Team Name: Hahnemann Hospital Second Chance Heart Transplant Support Group Submitted by: Terry
“My husband Mark Meade received a heart transplant in 2008. This photo is from 2012. The Howie’s House had not been built in 2008 or it would have dramatically changed my experience as his caregiver. I traveled daily for months back and forth to New Jersey. “
Team name: Pat and Peters Pals Submitted by: Joan Zekonis
“We started coming to the family house 6 years ago after I attended a conference at GOL. Your staff was so passionate and sincere about the process, so I wanted to get more involved. It started with just my son and me, but we would return at least once a year and every time another friend or family member would join us. It brings so much joy for all of us to plan our dinner and come to the house to help patients and families. When we started we didn’t know anyone involved in the donor/recipient process but since then we have had a family member become a donor. Home Cook Hero’s is a special family/friend “event” we look forward too.”
Team name: The Nagorsky Family Submitted by: Julie Nagorsky
“I have enjoyed volunteering with my daughter, Sydney and some of her friends over the years as a Home Cook Hero. This past summer prior to Sydney and her friends leaving to start college, we were able to bring her friends and their moms all together to cook. It was such a special evening for me as I have watched my daughter grow up cooking at The Gift of Life House since she was 12 years old. We had promised to make it an annual tradition and we are hoping and praying that we can be there to cook in August!”
Team name: TRIO Philadelphia Submitted by: Jim Gleason
“Our local Philadelphia chapter of TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) came over to bake for the Howie’s House after one of our regular chapter meetings at the Gift of Life office. What a fun time was had by one and all while supporting patients and families who are following in our own transplant journey.”
Team name: City Sisters Submitted by: Karen Rodgers
“CITY SISTERS gathers annually to cook for the residents of the Howie’s House.
We do this yearly to honor and remember our family member/friend Debbie who was a donor. We also honor our dear friends: Bob who was a recipient and Joe who is a recipient. Stay safe and well! God Bless.”
Team name: Temple University – Gamma Iota Sigma Submitted by: Mary Smith
“Our Eric graduated from Temple University in 2011 and was a member of the Gamma Iota Sigma Fraternity. He was an organ donor. After his passing that year, Gamma chose to honor Eric and another Gamma member, Kevin, by fundraising to underwrite a guest room at The Howie’s House. In this picture, my daughter and I were invited to participate in serving a meal with some amazing Gamma members. It touched our hearts to be included.”
Team name: Eaton/Van Kleunen Family Submitted by: Wendy Eaton
“Our family served a meal at the Howie’s House on Good Friday in 2019. We like to give back since we were blessed with Ed receiving the gift of life in 2009. We enjoy talking with the residents and giving them words of encouragement and hope. We have also participated in the Donor Dash and Wish List drives. Thank you for the beautiful facility you provide for patients and families!”
Team name: Lincoln Financial Group Submitted by: Tatiana Hersh
“Volunteers from various Lincoln departments joined together to cook for families one afternoon a few years ago”
Team name: Brusich/McGinty Family Grateful for the Gift Submitted by: Joanne Brusich
“Our family has spent the last 5 years together cooking, baking, decorating and enjoying Thanksgiving with the families, guests and staff at The Howie’s House. I stayed there after my transplant in 2015 and am so blessed to share Thanksgiving Day with so many wonderful families and staff connected to the transplant community. Our favorite moments come during dinner when we sit with families, listen to their stories and share ours. Every year we get to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends and still get to share our day together! Our cooks and helpers range in age from 6-85! Thank you Gift of Life Howie’s House for always being there when you’re needed the most. Looking forward to Thanksgiving 2020! 💙💚💙💚”
Team name: Team Kellie Submitted by: Sherri Baur
“My family and I cook at the Gift of Life Howie’s House a couple times a year. My favorite memory on top of all of the wonderful people we meet was when we set the grill on fire while cooking burgers. Everything ended up being fine, but very memorable moment. We are looking forward to getting back to the house to cook.
Be well everyone.”
Team name: GOL of Howie’s House Board Submitted by: Janice Waitkus
“The first time I volunteered to cook was the-advisory board team! We each had an assignment and came ready to prepare and cook and bring what was needed!”
Team name: Gamma Iota Sigma (Temple University) Submitted by: Daniel Polhamus
“I always love going to the Howie’s House to volunteer. My favorite moment was going in November 2018, when I went with a group of students to make a spaghetti dinner. This trip stands out because our organization selected the Howie’s House as our Charity of Choice for that school year. I had participated in some fundraising events at Temple, but it was very rewarding to have the opportunity to volunteer at the Howie’s House.“
Team name: Ed’s Eyes Submitted by: Dee Daugherty
“Our group, Ed’s Eyes, volunteers at the Howie’s House to honor my stepfather, Ed Mitchell. We have an enjoyable experience every time we plan and prepare a meal for the Howie’s House, so it is difficult to choose a favorite. In July 2016, we prepared dishes that centered around an Under the Sea theme, so we had a particularly good time with that one. We can’t wait to get back in the kitchen and make another meal as soon as we are able. Stay well, everyone!”
Team name: Four Ladies and Friends Submitted by: Sandy Kelly
“We have met so many nice people! We join another volunteer group to do some brunches and volunteer with them at Mcgee Rehab as well. This photo is another event we volunteer for….the Donor Dash.”
Team name: Jefferson Preoperative Nurses/OR Nurses Submitted by: Rae Fierro
“One patient and his wife were so grateful for our meal and since we were nurses, they shared their journey of waiting and then finally receiving a transplant. Their appreciation and warmth gave us such a gift, as we were able to hear how we made a difference! When you work in the OR, you rarely hear or know how you touch and impact people’s lives.
Looking forward to coming back to cook again!”
Team name: Keith’s Crusaders Submitted by: Eileen Hoff
“What an amazing morning it was to prepare brunch at the Gift of Life Howie’s House! We met so many awesome families and made friends. We shared this day with our dad, Keith, who received his lung transplant two years ago. He was able to participate in this wonderful day with a few of his children, a daughter in law, four of his granddaughters, and his wife!
A few years ago this never would have been possible. We are so grateful. We were honored to be able to give back just a little bit to the Gift of Life Howie’s House! We cannot wait to be able to do it again in the near future.”
Team name: April + Roman Submitted by: April Hennessey
“My son and I cherish our one-on-one time together baking treats as Home Cook Heroes. And often times the smell of cupcakes baking in the oven always seems to attract a guest and we all end up in a lovely conversation.”
Team name: Team Trion Submitted by: Anna Li
“Our group from Trion had a wonderful time making baked goods for the families staying at the Howie’s House. Thank you to the Howie’s House for all that you do to help those in need!”
Team name: Addison’s Angels Submitted by: Brittany Moore
“We have only had two experiences so far but they were both incredible. Beyond words! We have already booked four more sessions in the upcoming 3 years. We love it. Just the warm feeling you get when seeing the smiles on the guests faces as they eat the meal you prepare. The conversations you have, the friendly staff, the environment. Sharing our daughters story. All of it, we cannot get enough! Definitely one of our FAVORITE ways to give back in honor of our daughter Addison!”
Team name: Team Spiers Submitted by: Lauren Savage
“My family and I discovered the Howie’s House after my brother suddenly passed away in July 2011. To honor my brother, each month we partake in the Home Cook Heroes program. We have met so many amazing transplant recipients/donors and their families while cooking at the Howie’s House! I love that this is truly a FAMILY experience for us. Here are Kevin and Rhae, 2 of our younger “assistants” relaxing in the Howie’s House Legacy Garden after one of our nights cooking there!”
Team name: Team Spiers Submitted by: Denise Schmidt
“We loved spending the holiday season with the Howie’s House Guests and singing holiday songs with them.”
Team name: Ryan’s Shamrocks Submitted by: Carol McCloud
“We have so many great memories as Home Cook Heroes. We love coming on Ryan’s “Angelversary” and his birthday each year, sharing his story and his gift while helping others.”
In August of 2014, Carol McCloud’s son, Ryan, became an organ donor. At 20 years old, Ryan saved four lives. Until her son’s passing, Carol and her family didn’t know much about donation, but she says it’s been a blessing to her and her family, helping them get through her son’s sudden passing.
The McCloud’s are residents of Fishtown, a neighborhood just north of Gift of Life Donor Program and the Howie’s House, so it was easy for Carol to begin volunteering with our organization. She began with the Donor Dash, and soon after, she visited the Gift of Life website to learn about other volunteer opportunities. Carol also noticed signs on the highway for the Howie’s House.
After some thought, she and her family decided that on the first anniversary of her son’s passing, they’d do a food drive for the Howie’s House. They’ve been doing one ever since.
The McCloud family fills up their entire minivan with food and other household supplies for guests here at the Howie’s House. Family, friends, and small businesses in the neighborhood like grocery stores and restaurants all contribute; relatives and friends also advertise at work. “A big chain of people have made this drive so successful,” Carol says.
The before and after care transplant patients and their families receive at the Howie’s House motivates Carol to keep giving. “Being able to help others the way people helped my son is important to me,” she says. “Volunteering and spending time at the Howie’s House allows me to see first-hand what they do for families and allows me to celebrate my son and spread his story.”
Carol and her family also volunteer as Home Cook Heroes on or around Ryan’s birthday.
Thank you, McCloud family, for selflessly supporting our mission and transplant families!
The ladies of Rutgers Gang have kept their college friendships especially strong. They began volunteering as Home Cook Heroes when the Howie’s House opened in 2011, and have continued their commitment to serving transplant families in honor of a member whose relative passed after while waiting for a multi-organ transplant and another whose daughter received two kidney transplants.
At least once a month, these women come together not only to catch up, but to prepare and serve a warm meal for our guests. “Some people don’t realize the stress on caretakers is very hard,” Barbara, one of the members, says. “It’s good to sit down, relax, and enjoy something other than a boxed meal.”
For one of their first meals, they prepared a big lasagna dinner. However, when they found out most other Home Cook Heroes groups were serving Italian-style meals, they started to change things up. Since then, they’ve served breakfast for dinner, Mexican meals, and have even barbequed outside.
“We’ve got our routine down to a science,” Barbara says.
After they finish cooking, the ladies will often go out to dinner themselves, bringing their husbands and boyfriends along with them.
“It’s fun to get together with my friends,” Barbara says. “It’s also fun to do something for others. We all love cooking and it’s something we can all do. The Howie’s House is so life-changing. It feels like home.”
We’re so grateful these women have found a home here at the Howie’s House and that by volunteering with us, they’re honoring important people in their lives.
We’ll see you next time, Rutgers Gang!
For several years now, my family and friends have come together at Gift of Life Howie’s House to cook and serve guests a special, home-cooked meal …
We choose to be Home Cook Heroes because we know what these families are going through. And we do it because we want to honor our own hero, our son Gavin, on his birthday.
Gavin had a febrile seizure that led to cardiac arrest in April of 2013. He was 5 1/2 years old. His kidneys were the only viable organs able to be donated — and both of them went to a man in his 40s.
Helping others is, to me, one of the best ways to honor Gavin. – Kate Leong
It meant so much to us to donate Gavin’s kidneys at the end of his life, and we feel joy over and over as we help families staying at the Howie’s House. They come from all over the world, and the Howie’s House serves as their “home away from home” — and so much more.
-Kate Leong
Future Business Leaders of America to Create Awareness and Support Transplant Families
Students of the Souderton Area High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) recently hosted a bingo fundraiser to raise funds for Gift of Life Howie’s House as well as raise awareness for organ and tissue donation as part of their community service project.
The fundraiser involved several FBLA students including Jayme Barnett, whose father received a life-saving liver transplant in September 2016.
“The mission of Gift of Life is important to me, especially now since my father received a transplant that saved his life. My focus for this project was to be able to educate others on organ and tissue donor awareness and help the mission that has saved so many lives… I also wanted to support those who are going through the transplant process at the Howie’s House.”
On March 29, 2017, members of the FBLA proudly presented the $3,000 proceeds, which will benefit the Howie’s House’s Adopt-A-Family Program.
In addition, the FBLA group has established an Adopt-A-Blanket campaign where donations are collected to support materials to make blankets. With these supplies, students make warm, colorful fleece blankets for transplant patients and their families staying at the Howie’s House. To date, the group has distributed over 100 blankets to transplant families.
This project also served as their platform at the FBLA state leadership conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania in April, where the group placed 5th in the state for their community service project presentation.
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