A Partnership in Giving

Married couple Susan and Ron find different ways to use their talents to help at The Inn

Walk through the doors of The Children’s Inn at NIH on any day, and you will be greeted with a friendly face and a helping hand from a dedicated volunteer. If that day is a Wednesday, chances are that volunteer will be Susan, whose keen sense of humor and eagerness to brighten the days of those around her make an immediate impression.

Susan has been volunteering at The Inn for close to a decade. A few years ago, her husband Ron joined her as an Inn volunteer, helping to organize and run the Thoughtful Treasures program that lights up so many faces of kids staying at The Inn every week.

“It has been an absolute joy having Susan as a volunteer,” said Meghan Smith, The Inn’s Associate Director for Volunteer Services and Community Outreach. “She brings the loveliest spirit, a wonderful sense of humor, and is truly a light at the desk for families going through a difficult time. When Ron joined the volunteer team, it was an incredible bonus—they’ve become a dynamic duo leading our Thoughtful Treasures program, and it simply wouldn’t be what it is without them!”

The couple, who met as students at the University of Maryland and were married in the campus chapel, bring the same warmth and easy partnership to their volunteer work that has defined their life together. Longtime supporters of their alma mater, they now devote much of their time to supporting children and families facing serious illness.

“I wasn’t aware of The Children’s Inn until I read the call for volunteers,” Susan recalled. “It was so lovely! I called and talked to Meghan [Smith, The Inn’s Associate Director for Volunteer Services and Community Outreach], and we had the loveliest phone interview. So, I came in, and I’ve never been so impressed.”

What stood out immediately was the community. “The other volunteers and the staff could not have been nicer,” Susan said. It’s a sentiment she still shares years later, after countless hours at the welcome desk greeting families and helping them feel at home.

Her time at The Inn has spanned moments of both calm and crisis. She remembers vividly the day in 2018 when a roof collapse disrupted operations. “I got a call saying I didn’t have desk duty today because the roof had collapsed,” she said. “So, we got in, and we scrambled…Oh my God, that was crazy.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought another wave of uncertainty, Susan remained committed, continuing to come in and help organize the Thoughtful Treasures program—a daily highlight for many children staying at The Inn.

It was through this program that Ron became more deeply involved. Though he had a history of volunteering—dating back to time spent visiting patients at the National Institutes of Health, inspired by his sister’s experience as a multiple sclerosis patient in the 1980s—his role at The Inn grew naturally alongside Susan’s.

After a long career at Microsoft, where he participated in a program supporting employee volunteerism, Ron brought both his compassion and his skills to the Treasures program. Today, he plays a leading role in keeping it running smoothly.

“I call him spreadsheet boy because he loves to track everything,” Susan said with a laugh.

For Ron, the motivation is simple and deeply personal. “What really attracted me to The Inn was that the children are going through some very difficult times,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing to go through. It seems like Treasures is a great way of trying to bring a smile and something fun for them every day.”

Ron has helped keep Thoughtful Treasures a staple of life at The Inn even during ongoing construction as part of The Inn of Tomorrow project. With limited storage and organizational space, he has implemented processes to ensure that no day goes by without the families experiencing one of the most memorable ways that The Inn remains a ‘Place Like Home.’

While he is keeping things running smoothly in the background, Susan is out front, ready with a smile and grateful for the joy she receives from the families. “When I am here on Wednesdays when the kids get their Treasures, it’s so fun to see,” Susan said. “I’m at the welcome desk, so it’s a hoot to see them get those each week.”

What began as a small act of volunteerism has become a shared calling. Susan still remembers the moment it all clicked—watching another volunteer, Nina, expertly assembling Treasures and stepping in to lend a hand. “I went in one time to ask if she needed any help,” Susan said. “So, I started helping her with that.”

That sense of joy, purpose, and connection has never faded.

“It has been a true delight,” Susan said. “Yeah. I just love it. I just absolutely love it. The place is so great. Everybody’s so nice.”

Together, Susan and Ron embody the spirit of The Children’s Inn: a place where kindness and community go hand-in-hand, and even the smallest gestures can make a lasting difference.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at The Children’s Inn, visit our Volunteer page here.