Landen Cook's Leadership Project for the RMHC in SLC

Hello! I'm Landen Cook, and I'm a student at Utah State University. For my leadership class, I have the opportunity to participate in a leadership project, and I have chosen to volunteer my time and resources to the Ronald McDonald House Charity of the Intermountain Area in Salt Lake City!

The RMHC in Salt Lake City has helped me become who I am today. When I was starting middle school in 2018, I struggled with social anxiety, and it was hard for me to branch out and make new friends. When my parents decided we would start volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, I was nervous. I didn't feel comfortable meeting new people, but deep down, I knew that this would help me.

When we volunteered, we brought board games to play with the families and kids staying at the RMHC, and it was genuinely one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to be myself, and I met so many great people. It gave me the courage to branch out in school, and soon enough, I was making new friends and trying new things like running for student government (something that I wholeheartedly believe that if I hadn't volunteered at the RMHC, I wouldn't have done in middle school or high school).

I now have the opportunity to give back to the charity that did so much for me! Any donations that are made will go directly to the RMHC in Salt Lake City, and a few others, and I plan to volunteer our time at the RMHC to play board games with the families staying there.