What makes us believe
What makes us believe? The thousands of volunteers who walk through the doors of our Believe In Tomorrow Houses to donate their services every day.
We believe because schools, churches and community groups will give up entire afternoons to make our hospital and respite facilities look sparkling and new for visiting families.
We believe because one man can help heal hundreds of children, inviting them as special guests to cheer him on as he speeds down the racetrack.
“Staff greeted us and instantly became our friends— friends who understood that we were probably overwhelmed and took every measure to make us comfortable.”
We believe because we see the rewards a group of friends can earn when they show up on a cold winter evening to cook a hot meal for families staying in our Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins and St. Casimir.
We believe because men and women of all generations have donated their time to answer phones, make welcome baskets, work events, clean fish tanks, bake cookies, take pictures, fix furniture, paint, scrub …
Thanks to Believe In Tomorrow volunteers, our children and families can take one step closer to believing in tomorrow.
Interested in learning more about volunteering? Read below to find out how others have helped and how you can help too. Scroll through our volunteer opportunities on the right to discover ways to lend a hand right now.
Featured Volunteer Opportunity
Are you interested in joining a dynamic team who likes to get hands-on? The St. Casimir Deep Cleaning Crew is for you! Join our team of cleaners and help make the Believe In Tomorrow's St. Casimir’s apartments clean and sanitary for our bone marrow transplant patients. This team involves minimal commitment; we work on an as needed basis. When a family checks out of St. Casimir, the Deep Cleaning Crew cleans and sanitizes the apartment to get it ready for the next family. If you are interested in joining the list of on-call cleaners and making a difference in the life of a critically ill child, please email Mindy Weidman: mweidman@believeintomorrow.org.
Volunteer First-Person
Beauty Queens Recognize Inner Beauty
By LaQuisha Hall, Mrs. Owings Mills International 2009
My husband, Mardis Halland, cooks food as if he is the “chef” of the household. This past December, one day after Christmas, we made a Christmas dinner for 25 people. We cooked up a storm of chicken, ham, collard greens, potato salad, corn, cornbread, chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake.
This was our first visit to the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, and we brought along toys for the children and several boxes of food to be stored for current and future residents.
As residents came down to eat, they gave many compliments to the “chef” for a job well done, and chatted with us about their hospitalized children and life experiences. The children were playful and couldn’t stay away from the table of toys and chocolate cake!
Kurt, the weekend manager and a career firefighter in Baltimore County, assisted us through the evening. He was extremely gregarious, humble and seemingly brave, which my husband and I realized after stories he shared of his work experiences.
Four days later, I volunteered for the Children’s House again, this time bringing a crew of beauty queens from the Maryland International Pageant System. I was so thankful that 20 queens showed up to volunteer. We baked cookies and encouraged the residents to come munch on them and chat with us.
One resident we met had a 10-month old daughter in the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center receiving one of many surgeries. This one night of cookie baking was such a joy to her. Her smile was the reason we visited and volunteered. I pray that her daughter continues to recover well.
It was extremely rewarding and special to help others with my fellow queens. It is so important for us, as people (not only pageant participants), to help others.
My two visits to the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House were enjoyable and memorable experiences. I hope to get back there, crown and all, soon.