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Fort Smith’s Ronald McDonald House Nears Milestone
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WORDS Dwain Hebda IMAGES courtesy Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma
It’s been a scary, stressful year, but Allison Davis can’t stop smiling these days. As River Valley Program Director for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma, she’s had a front-row seat for the biggest advancement in the organization's history – the building of the new Ronald McDonald House in Fort Smith. During the course of the project, a global pandemic changed daily life forever, building material prices spiked to record levels, people shifted to remote work arrangements and labor dried up. And yet, the long-awaited home is very nearly done, on schedule. It’s no wonder the sparkle in her voice is
“I cannot wait to start serving more families because there is a wait list in the facility that we have now, and we are constantly having to turn people away. So, to see those rooms and common spaces being built is getting so exciting. I just can’t wait.”
easily detectable. “We’re still, thankfully, on time with it, which is very exciting,” she said. “We’re still projected to open this fall as originally planned.
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