40 From Our 40: Mary Kleiman
Mary at RMHCCIN’s 40th anniversary reception.
For Mary Kleiman, the Ronald McDonald House is special “because it represents the love of the community coming together to create a special healing place for families going through some of the most traumatic times in their lives.”
Mary became a volunteer at the still-young Ronald McDonald House in 1985 after Marie Shea and Janice Haak, two of Mary’s coworkers who also volunteered at the House, shared their positive experiences, and recruited her to get involved.
The House is “a warm, safe space where love is personified in all the people who make (it) happen.” The House represents a unique personification of love for Mary – she met her future husband, David Kleiman, when their volunteer shifts overlapped in 1990. They’ve now been married 31 years.