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.
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.
Volunteer Highlight
It’s Iron Chef: Believe In Tomorrow Edition!
With only $200 and five hours, 16 chefs were challenged to create three separate dishes at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins. Team WOO and Team CoCo were pitted against each other in this Iron Chef-style battle. The challenge was not easy; each meal had to feed 45 hungry people and every single dish had to involve the secret ingredient: VANILLA!
This Iron Chef Family Supper was part of a week-long conference for McCormick Spice Company’s Americas Regional Board, comprised of top executives from countries including the United States, Canada, England, Venezuela, and St. Croix. The surprise challenge was announced at the end of a conference luncheon, and although board members expected to prepare a Family Supper, they were no doubt caught off-guard with the challenge of carrying out a complete battle!
After the big reveal of the secret ingredient, the two teams were directed to Allez Cuisine! – the traditional Iron Chef call to culinary battle. Both teams raced to purchase ingredients and return to the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House. Armed with their goods, and none other than a battalion of McCormick spices, each team got right to work in their own kitchen. After a grueling five hours of shopping, creating, and cooking, both teams presented their dishes to a panel of guest judges – 15 Believe In Tomorrow families.
Team WOO wowed the judges with crab lasagna covered in a creamy, vanilla-infused cheese sauce, a tossed salad, and chocolate chip vanilla ice cream cookie sandwiches. Team CoCo brought more of a Mexican flair to their dishes with vanilla-y chicken and beef fajitas, homemade guacamole with vanilla, and vanilla rice crispy treats.
The judges deliberated using secret ballots, with the results coming to a completely unexpected tie! The two teams had done such an equally brilliant job that both had won the competition. It may have been an unorthodox ending, but the talent quality was just TOO high to choose one winner.
Thank you, McCormick’s Americas Regional Board, for such an exhilarating and fun night at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins! We look forward to hearing more about the culinary antics of these teams...
LATEST & GREATEST
New deck furniture and a healing garden were installed at the Believe In Tomorrow House at Pinnacle Falls, providing areas where families can spend time together outdoors during the warmer months. The interior of the Believe In Tomorrow House on Wisp Mountain just received a deep cleaning thanks to the hard working congregation of the Garrett County United Methodist Church.
At the beach, the Believe In Tomorrow House by the Sea and the Believe In Tomorrow House on Fenwick Island boast new sets of dining room furniture and newly upholstered chairs, as well as new carpeting throughout the House by the Sea, thanks to the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc. and the Choptank Electric Trust Fund, Inc.. The Believe In Tomorrow House on the Bay, along with our other two beach facilities, have all been adorned with carved fish decorations, courtesy of Fenwick Float-ors in Fenwick Island.
A few fresh coats of paint cover both the interior and exterior of the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, as well as the stairs and upper deck of the Believe In Tomorrow House at St. Casimir. The Dakes Company has played an instrumental role throughout the years in capturing just the right shades of paint in our facilities, and these paint jobs are no exception. Additionally, several of the units at St. Casimir have been outfitted with flat screen tvs, generously contributed by Vance and Nancy Van Horne.
Thank you to everyone who pitched in and played a role in helping prepare each of Believe In Tomorrow’s houses for the upcoming seasons!
Unsung Heroes
Every year, Believe In Tomorrow recognizes an Unsung Hero at its Annual Benefit and Auction. This person is someone who goes beyond the boundaries of service, putting heart and soul into thoughtful and inspiring projects for the foundation. The amount of effort, time and assets this person spends makes them more than a contributor; they become part of the heartbeat of the organization and a forever friend. These are our Unsung Heroes.
2010 – Dave Pruitt
2009 – Todd Pierce, PBR (Professional Bull Rider's Association, Inc.)
2008 – Carl Dakes
2007 – David Amick
2006 – Sean Sites
2005 - Patrick "Scunny" McCusker