20 May The Morrison Family Makes an Impact

The Morrisons’ commitment to Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities knows no bounds. Mara Morrison and her two daughters, Mary Grace and Elle, step up to help our families time and time again.

What started as an internship for Mary Grace last summer to complement her Girl Scout Gold Award project that included fundraising for Atlanta RMHC and a book drive is now a family affair. Mary Grace battled many illnesses as a child and felt extremely fortunate to receive world-class medical care while remaining close to her family.

“As I grew older and became a teenager, I truly realized how lucky I was to have had the best doctors and treatments available to me,” Mary Grace said. “I also realized how many families do not have the resources I have, especially those who do not live near a dedicated children’s hospital.”

Through her Gold Award project, Mary Grace donated more than 200 books to our Ronald McDonald Houses and raised $32,000 through her Raise Love campaign. It didn’t take long for her mother, Mara, and her sister, Elle, to see the difference Mary Grace made for our families. The family prepared dinners twice during the 2019 holiday season and stepped up again to help when the COVID-19 struck.

Mara Morrison and her daughter, Mary Grace (left), step up to help our families.

Since the pandemic began, Mara, a Hearts and Hands Society member, has coordinated numerous catered meals for our families with her Mt. Paran Woods Garden Club friends, providing meals when we need it most.

“We know how important it is to have a nice meal when you are going through the unimaginable and especially in these times,” Mara said. “We catered from Proof of the Pudding. The company, owned by Adam Noyes and Phil Noyes, has experienced a decline in business right now, so it was a win-win.”

While Mara and the Mt. Paran Woods Garden Club provided meals for our families, Elle coordinated the production of face masks, using her birthday money to fund 40 protective masks for our medically fragile families.

“I was really thankful to have the opportunity to help Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities,” Elle explains. “It is an important cause and growing up in a hospital is hard, so if you can help … do.”

“I was shocked to learn how dependent Atlanta RMHC is on the support of our local community for funding,” Mara said. “Finding out that nearly 80 percent of the charity’s revenue depends on families like ours helped us understand the lasting impact we were truly making on families with sick children.”

Join the Morrison family in keeping children and families close when they need it most. Join the Hearts & Hands Society today!