The Ronald McDonald House: A Place of Comfort and Hope

April 13, 2016

By Amy Gooden

In January 2007 my son Joshua was born five weeks premature and suffered severe digestive complications. A few days after he was born he was transferred from Genesis Hospital in Zanesville, Ohio to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Columbus Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It was a very bewildering and overwhelming time. My husband’s company closed and he was unemployed. I had been off work and on bed rest.

The first night we were at Nationwide Children’s Hospital the wonderful staff allowed us to stay in a special room directly across from the NICU. The next day we searched the area for a local hotel close to the hospital. Although we did not have the financial resources, we were prepared to charge each night of our stay on a credit card. We did not know how long our stay would be and the cost each night was well over $100 a night. Just before checking in at a local hotel we received a call from our case worker at Nationwide Children’s. She said a room was available at the Ronald McDonald House and we could stay there at no cost. It was such a blessing! What a relief to know we did not have to worry about how we were going to pay for our stay. Plus, the hospital was just across the street. We did not have to worry about transportation to and from the hospital.

There was something about the House that was so very comforting. Each night when we returned from the hospital, a local company or volunteer organization had prepared dinner for all of the guests. It was cold and dark outside. I can’t explain how comforting it was to receive a warm meal and sit quietly among the other residents knowing my son was just across the street.

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio provided us with a private room with our own bathroom, a completely stocked and modern kitchen, laundry facility, and a media room. All they asked of us was to clean up after ourselves. Each guest was assigned an area of the House to keep clean. Our area was the library. The library was already a very clean place, but we checked it every day to make sure it was swept and dust free!

It is through those gestures that makes RMHC such a remarkable place. At that time, my husband and I were not able to provide any funds for our stay at the House, but I remember as we were preparing to check out, I thought, someday I will give back to RMHC of Central Ohio for their generosity.

I first had the opportunity to give back to RMHC when I became the advisor for the Rotaract Club at Muskingum University. One of our ongoing projects for is to collect aluminum pop tabs. Since January 2014, the Rotaract Club has engaged the entire campus community to collect pop tabs. On April 28^th our club will take a tour of the House and present our pop tabs. We haven’t been able to weigh our tabs yet but I can tell you that I have a giant tub of pop tabs that we will have to roll out of my office!

In July, I will be a contestant in the Dancing with the Divas contest. It is a dance competition and fundraiser similar to the television show Dancing with the Stars. The contest is in its sixth year and is hosted by the Dancing Divas, which is a group of women who promote the love of dance for all ages. Each contestant picks a charity to raise funds; thus, this becomes my second opportunity to give back as my charity will be Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio! My Diva partner and I will be performing a tap routine to Singing in the Rain. I haven’t tap danced since I was 11 years old, so we have started practicing! I have no doubt that we will have a fabulous routine for the show! I am very excited and so happy to be able to finally give back to RMHC.

Today my son is a happy, healthy and enthusiastic 9 year old! Thank you to the wonderful staff at RMHC for helping us through such a stressful time in our lives. The Ronald McDonald House is truly an amazing place, a place of comfort and hope.

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Giving Thanks This Season

November 18, 2015

 

By Darla Stover

The literal definition of grateful is feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; to be thankful. The staff, volunteers and families at the Ronald McDonald House are grateful and thankful for:

• The opportunity to give back to help those in need here at the Ronald McDonald House
• The shifts never feeling like work
• Recovery from illness
• McFamily volunteers
• Fall nights with candles and warm blankets
• Always meeting someone new at the Ronald McDonald House
• The education of a lifetime at The Ohio State University
• My husband’s love for 42 years
• The holiday season
• Health and happiness
• The Ronald McDonald House Charities mission
• Candy and ice cream
• Waking up this morning
• Good service and nice beds at the Ronald McDonald House
• No worries of expense of food and lodging at the Ronald McDonald House

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all of the reasons to be grateful. Different countries celebrate Thanksgiving in unique and different ways. Here are some celebrations from all over the world:

• Jour de l’Action aka Thanksgiving Day: Canada celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the year with a large feast
• Chuseok: Korea celebrates this 3-day holiday with a major food festival. Koreans return to their hometowns to perform traditional rituals in the morning to remember ancestors
• Tet Trung Thu Festival: Vietnam’s fall celebration is also known as the Children’s Festival. Children light lanterns and perform lion dances as part of the celebration
• Harvest Festival: London’s 2-day festival includes the fruit and vegetable competition as well as the giant pumpkin competition
• Homowo: Ghana’s celebration is a commemoration of the pre-colonial famine that occurred in Ghana. The festival includes drums, face painting, singing and traditional dances
• Erntekankfest: Germany’s Harvest of Thanks includes a Thanksgiving parade and a carnival with elaborate decorations made from harvested fruits and vegetables
• August Moon Festival: China’s 1000 year old tradition to reflect on the summer harvest and fullness of the moon. Many mooncakes-flaky, round, semi-sweet pastries are given as gifts during the celebration
• Pongal: India’s 4-day festival marks the end of the winter season in India.  People throw old clothes in the fire and wear new clothes to worship their sun god, Surya.
• Crop Over: Barbados’ harvest festival features singing, dancing, climbing a greased pole, feasting, a drinking competition as well as a calypso music competition

However people choose to give thanks this season, I want to give thanks to all of the hard-working staff and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House, the staff and volunteers at the hospitals and most importantly, to our families who are my pleasure to serve every day.

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Why I’m the #HeartofRMHC

April 22, 2015

By Diana Beil, RMHC of Central Ohio Volunteer

In 1991, my brother was a patient at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. For several months, my mother stayed at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House while he was in the hospital. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer with a group of coworkers who prepared a meal for the families staying at the House. Being there reminded me of all the stories my mother shared about her time staying at the House and how blessed we were to have the House during such a difficult time. After that visit, I realized I wanted to become more involved with the Columbus Ronald McDonald House and I have been volunteering ever since.

My favorite part of being a Housewarmer is the interactions with the families. It is a great feeling to know the simplest of tasks – providing directions, providing forgotten toiletries, etc. makes their day just a bit easier. I am always fascinated by the distance people come to receive care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I have a great sense of pride for the Hospital and the House, and feel confident telling the families that they are in the best place they can be for their child. I also have met some of the most generous people working at the House. It is nice being surrounded by others who value volunteerism and giving back to our community.

My mother came to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House with me a couple years ago to take a tour. It is very different than the small house she remembers. I can’t wait to have her come back and check out the new addition. I think the most rewarding part of being a volunteer at the House is knowing I’m making my mother proud and giving back to such a wonderful place that helped our family all those years ago!

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