December 10, 2025

Little Things Add Up to Make a Big Difference at Kavanagh House

In her first year as an EveryStep volunteer, Jackie Riccio has done a little bit of everything.  But the little things that she’s doing are making a big difference for the clients she’s helping serve.

Jackie says she was inspired to join EveryStep’s volunteer team the first moment she walked in their doors.  “I had an opportunity to visit a friend at Kavanagh House. I walked in there and it ... it called me. I said: ‘Okay, this is what I'm supposed to do, and I put my name in right away, and I have not regretted one moment.”

Jackie says her first year on the volunteer roster has been filled with opportunities big and small – and all equally important.  
“When I've done the training classes, (volunteers) ask: ‘What exactly do you do?’ And I say: ‘A lot of it is laundry’,” Jackie says.  But to her it is not just laundry, it is the promise of comfort.  “When I'm doing that, I'm thinking of how great it feels to have a bath and getting new jammies and the clean sheets.  We are providing that for our patients.’”

Volunteer With EveryStep

Laundry isn’t the only little task in which Jackie’s finds deeper meeting.  “We're doing all these little ancillary things that don't seem important, but they're very important to make that atmosphere at Kavanaugh House feel as comfortable as possible during those difficult, difficult times,” she says.

“We keep everything sanitized, wiping off tables and doorknobs and things like that. Really important little things that keep things nice,” Jackie says, “When families are in the break room and need a snack, the last thing they need is a sticky table. As crazy as that sounds, they just need to be at peace. They need to be at peace and being in a clean space.”

“It's the little things that mean so much, that show you matter. (Patients’) choices matter, they are heard, and they are seen. Boy, that's really a big thing to know,” she says, “That's what we are doing at Kavanaugh House … we're keeping it as comfortable as we can. You are safe here.”

The Kavanagh House has become a second home for Jackie.  “My boys are out of the state, so I spent my Thanksgiving, my Christmas, and New Year's at Kavanagh House to be around people and – oh boy - it's just so rewarding to, to be around and to know that you brought some cheer at a tough time because the holidays are probably the hardest for everyone,” she says.
“There's nothing better than the Springtime when we were able to wheel out the beds on the deck, and they were in the sun with the family, having a pizza party out there.  It just fills you.”

Jackie says she’s willing to help whenever and wherever she’s needed – including filling the shoes of the Amanda the Panda mascot at EveryStep’s Baby Bloom event in April.  She says the role brought back memories of her younger days.  “Back when my boys were little, I ran the story hour at our local library and did all these things for the kids.  I was Mother Goose and Nutrition Norma and Safety Sadie.  So when that popped up I said: ‘I want to do that.’”

Jackie says that in her first year of volunteering, EveryStep has given back to her as much as she has given to us.  “I don't have a whole lot moneywise, but I sit here and think that I am very wealthy. I am rich in all these experiences and people in my life.  That is the biggest treasure that we can take through our life … is to embrace that and to be really thankful for the experiences.”