At just thirteen years old, Hannalee Wilbur is celebrating her upcoming Bat Mitzvah with a huge act of kindness. She’s donating over $10,000 worth of toys, personal care items, household items, and food to families at the Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms at Stony Brook Children’s.
Hand-Delivered Happiness
On Friday, June 19th Hannalee, her mom Cara, and dad Adam, drove a large van over to Stony Brook Children’s. Hannalee’s mitzvah was to hand-deliver hundreds of donated items to help ease the burden of children and families staying at the hospital. Joined by Uncle Neil Schumer, owner of Elegant Eating, and Rabbi Josh Gray from Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook, the group carefully carried the items up to the Ronald McDonald House Family Room. Even while placing the beautiful baskets, Hannalee was able to hand-deliver some to moms and dads to bring back to their ill or injured children just a few steps away. Each basket was filled with different items to give parents and children a break, and a bit of happiness during their hospitalization.
A Home Away from Home for Hannalee’s Cousin
A couple years ago, Hannalee’s older cousin Jacqueline was pregnant with her new baby cousin, Scottie. When Scottie was diagnosed with spina bifida, she underwent surgery and the family stayed at Ronald McDonald House. Today, Scottie is thriving and serves as an inspiration to Hannalee. For Scottie and her family, Ronald McDonald House was a home away from home. And for Hannalee, she wanted to help other families who may be going through a similar ordeal.
One Mitzvah After Another
Since her Mitzvah project launched, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming. Generous friends and community members would purchase items from Hannalee’s Wish List. The items arrived to Hannalee’s house almost daily with delivery workers cheerfully announcing, “another box for your Mitzvah Project!”
When asked about how this effort has impacted her personally, Hannalee shared:
“It really makes you feel good about yourself, and it encourages other people to keep doing good deeds. It’s like a train that keeps going on and on, or like if you threw a rock into a river and it ripples.”
Thanks to Hannalee, hundreds of children and their families will receive more than just gift baskets. They will experience moments of comfort, joy, and reassurance during some of their most challenging days at the hospital. And as we continue to make progress on the new Ronald McDonald House nex tto Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, we are reminded of the growing need for expanded care in Suffolk County. Through Hannalee’s efforts, families will also be reminded that there is an entire outside community uplifting and rooting for them throughout their medical treatment and journey.
As Ronald McDonald House Long Island eagerly prepares to open the doors to our new Stony Brook House in 2027, we invite community members of all ages to join us in making a difference – and that the next act of kindness can start with you!