The Ronald McDonald House is back in operation with a fresh new look thanks to help and advice from local businesses and individuals. Volunteers have been working together since August 2011 to ensure a speedy reopening of the shelter, which serves families of sick and injured children receiving treatment from Children’s Hospital at Erlanger.
“It’s nice to have the families back and have the house back in working order,” said Jane Kaylor, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga.
When guests started noticing a musty odor in several of the rooms, Kaylor called Edwin Wade, president and owner of the full-service construction and environmental company Affinity Group, located in Soddy-Daisy, to do an inspection. Affinity discovered a water intrusion in the wing where the odor had been detected, along with issues caused by the air-conditioning unit in one of the guest rooms.
The house was closed last Aug. 24 for Affinity to complete the mold remediation project, which it did free of charge, as well as an upgrade in furnishings for the entire house that was originally slated for next year.
Wade said he was a recipient of the organization’s hospitality nine years ago, when he and his wife stayed at the house for two weeks before his son passed away.