By Marie Luby

ALBANY -- One day of volunteer work made all the difference for families of seriously sick children Friday at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany.

Dozens of Home Depot employees passed on the pay, to help fix up the house from top to bottom.

Their gift will have a lasting impact on the parents of one very special child.

New floors, ceilings, wallpaper, you name it - all to help parents like Natalie Bobe and Dennis Kozlowski, whose son Dennis Jr. was not due until next week. They've been staying here free for 113 days.  "He was born at 23 weeks and five days. He weighed one pound, nine ounces," Bobe says while holding up a picture of her tiny baby.

Five major surgeries later, mom and dad are still just a few blocks from the hospital. "It's been a real godsend," says Kozlowski.

320 hours of labor from local Home Depot volunteers is overwhelming to those who spend often agonizing days here.

"The compassionate, big hearts that people have, you don't see that every day," says Bobe.

Volunteers even spent their time on landscaping around the House, making it even more of a home away from home for moms like Bobe.

"It really makes everyone feel great and they tell us, they said some nice words at lunch for us, and it makes everyone feel good about the day," says volunteer and Home Depot store manager Brian Kinney.

500 families will stay at the House this year. That means a lot of wear and tear on the two homes connected into one building.

Ronald McDonald House Executive Director Jeff Yule explains, "These homes are each over 110 years old. It requires a lot of upkeep, a lot of love and TLC, and we rely on the community for this kind of help because for us to be able to do this, it would break the bank quite literally."

To the volunteers, Bobe says, "You make this place beautiful, you keep it beautiful, you make it possible for families like us to have a home away from home."