By Charlie Fiedler – Merillat Sales Account Manager
I was recently honored to work on a very special project with Midwest Living magazine along with one of our dealers, Sunderland Brothers Company; a project that will benefit hundreds of families in need each year.
L to R: Doug Year (Sunderland Brothers), Ronald McDonald, Charlie Fiedler (Merillat Account Manager), Ron Bauer (Sunderland Brothers) and Joe Williams (Williams Remodeling) celebrate the grand opening of the Midwest Living Idea Home at the Ronald McDonald House.
As a sponsor of the 2011-2012 Midwest Living Idea Home, Merillat cabinetry provided cabinetry for the complete renovation of the Ronald McDonald House Charities® Des Moines, Iowa home.
For Merillat cabinetry this was a perfect fit. Why? Merillat strives to make life in the kitchen easier; and if we can in anyway make life easier for these families, we consider that a privilege.
I attended the unveiling of the project at an Open House party in late August. The party was open to sponsors and local residents, and included a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the completed home.
During the tour, one thing was clear, the room designs were inspired by the families living there; especially the rooms with Merillat cabinets including the media room, library, bathrooms, and of course the kitchen.
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Merillat Senior Designer Paul Radoy designed these rooms. I could see immediately how Paul’s hard work might help make the families feel as comfortable as possible and a little more like “home” during their stays.
These two kitchens mirroring each other in one space, allow more than one family a functional space to prepare meals.
This “home away from home” was especially personal for me as I had a close friend spend months at Methodist Hospital across the parking lot from the Ronald McDonald House. My friend’s son had a brain injury in 2009 and spent over two months at Methodist. In 2010, my friend himself was diagnosed with cancer, spending numerous weeks undergoing chemotherapy at Methodist. They were fortunate to live in the area and could sleep in their own beds. I was extremely proud of Merillat Cabinetry’s contribution to give families that are not from the area a place that might feel like home during their stay.
The complete transformation of the home will be featured in the March/April 2012 issue of Midwest Living. Can’t wait that long? Watch for updates on the project at midwestliving.com/rmhc.
Tags: cabinets, kitchen, merillat, merillat cabinetry, merillat cabinets, Midwest Living, Midwest Living Idea Home, Midwest Living Magazine, Ronald McDonald, Ronald McDonald House, Sunderland