By Linda Lutz, Bob Evans Farms

Linda serving breakfast at RMHC

Every month, Brian and I look forward to going to RMHC. We get excited on planning the menu to make sure that we can put a smile on each and every face. The feelings I get are so overwhelming that I have been given this great opportunity to spend a couple of hours and make family members who are being challenge by medical issues with their children, have a home cook meal and be normal for just a little while. I can’t image what they are going through, and if we have those few hours to make these families happy, our job is done. I have grown to love the staff, and some of the families we have had the opportunity to see month after month. When we arrive and families come up to us and say they look forward to seeing us every month-it doesn’t get any better than that.

By Jason Sutermaster, Volunteer

Jason (top left, 2nd) and the ACN team making dinner

I have been volunteering with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio for a little over two years. I got my start when some friends and I were looking for an opportunity to do volunteer work. We felt our best opportunity would be if we could do something to help children. At the time, I was attending a gym called Go Fitness. The owner, Nick Osborne, had previously told me about how his staff will fix lunch for the families at RMHC of Central Ohio. We gave the House a call and talked to a super nice lady named Meika. We got our day scheduled, planned our meal, went shopping and arrived not really knowing what we were getting into. None of us had ever been to the House before. It was amazing! Everyone we came in contact with was incredibly sweet and helpful. So many families came up to say thank you and ask us what we were cooking. We had so many laughs and truly loved our time with the House. We enjoyed our volunteer experience so much, we scheduled a second date. At this time, I was able to speak to several of the volunteers about what other opportunities are available to support the House. Once again, I was put in contact with Meika and I attended a volunteer orientation meeting a short time later.

Around this same time, I became involved with a company called ACN Inc. ACN is one of the leading global sponsors of Ronald McDonald House Charities. Every quarter at our national conventions, we raise money to help support the local RMHC in the city we are staying. Additionally, the company’s world headquarters are in Charlotte, NC. Just a few short years ago, ACN recognized there was not a local Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte and donated all the funds necessary to help build the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte.

From that inspiration and the positive experience I had cooking lunch with my friends, we decided to become more involved with our local House. It was so amazing to learn the significance of RMHC of Central Ohio. Our local ACN team has a committed effort to cook a dinner for the families at least once a quarter. Our group loves it and often times we have more volunteers than we need to prepare the meal. That offers us an additional opportunity to help keep the kitchen as neat and tidy as possible. Many of our group members enjoy walking around the dining room and offering fresh brownies or helping sweep up crumbs. It never gets old to see new team members come to help out and watch the amazement in their eyes of the complexity of the House. It’s so much bigger and does much more than they had ever imagined.

On occasion, we have been referred to as “The Red Meat Group” from a few families that have stayed long enough to see us return. Our menu rarely changes as we always like to grill burgers and hot dogs, even if there is six inches of snow outside. That amazing aroma seems to just travel up the stairways and elevator shafts to spread the alluring smell of a summer picnic. It helps bring everyone together to enjoy a tasty meal and spread some smiles, while breaking up what can often be a stressful day for the families. We love seeing the staff and volunteers whom have come to recognize us and thank us every time we cook. It has been a very rewarding experience for us and we look forward to a continued partnership in the future.  To the House with a Heart, thank you for having us!

By Mackenzie Schuler

Food brings people together. It’s no secret eating a meal with loved ones is a time for us to unwind, relax, and catch up with the ones who know our hearts. Some of my best memories growing up were spent around the dinner table with my entire family. I feel as if life slows down when I spend time with the ones who know me best when we are eating some amazing food.

I think the same thing happens at Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio. Volunteers prepare meals every day to help give a taste of home to our families who are dealing with a child in the hospital. I see families every day, many who do not know each other, some who do not even speak the same language, and they have a common bond—a child in the hospital. They come together, day after day over a meal, and it is a simple thing that is so therapeutic for our families. If you have never baked or made a meal for our families, I highly recommend it!

Food has a way of creating community. I think that’s why I am so excited about the events we have happening for RMHC of Central Ohio. Brunch Around Columbus (Saturday, May 14^th and Sunday, May 15^th) benefits RMHC of Central Ohio and you can head to some of the best restaurants in Columbus:  Seventh Son Brewing and Challah Food Truck, Kraft House No. 5, The Angry Baker and Taste of Belgium. Yum! Grab your friends and family, and go get brunch that benefits RMHC!

Food Truck Fridays is another event that is bringing people together for greater good. Every Friday from now-August 26^th, 11 am-2 pm some of the best food trucks in Columbus will be at the Ronald McDonald House while they generously donate 10% of their proceeds back to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House every Friday! Below is the schedule. We have amazing trucks and amazing lines, so come hungry! These organizations understand the importance of serving families of seriously ill children, so we are incredibly grateful for their support.

Food can bring people together. These experiences listed can create a common bond for your team, friends, and family. Whether it’s through volunteering or attending one of the events listed above, people will always talk about food—it’s the way to our hearts!

The kitchen where meal groups provide meals at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House

By Ginger Tinkler, Volunteer

When I retired from 34 years of teaching, I was excited when a small group of women from our church asked me to join them in preparing a lunch for the families at Ronald McDonald House. I had always wanted to do volunteer work but never had the extra time to do so. I especially wanted to give back to the staff and hospital that had given so much to our family when my youngest grandson was diagnosed with infantile scoliosis when he was only a few months old. Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Cincinnati Children’s provided all his care for the first three and a half years of his life. He still makes yearly trips to Cincinnati Children’s for check ups but he is well and no longer shows any signs of the disease. Little did I know that toward the end of last year, my granddaughter would be diagnosed with a rare disorder and require the services of the staff at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Our small group has grown in size and we are now able to provide two lunches a month. It doesn’t seem like I do much. I feel blessed that I can bring a brief respite to their lives. However, these families who are often facing far more difficult circumstances than my grandchildren, show me hope, their faith, and stubborn determination through their love for their children. Words cannot explain the blessings I receive when I volunteer at Ronald McDonald House. I am so grateful to be able to give back a little for all that my grandchildren have been given.

By Angela Alder, Strategic Partnerships Associate

Angela at A Toast to Tinseltown

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Gandhi

While pursuing my Bachelor’s degree and working full-time, I spent, what little free time I had, planning events for a local wedding planner. I spent countless hours doing the less than glamorous, behind-the-scenes work involved in executing any big event. I worked tirelessly on timelines, contracts, budgets and calming anxious brides all for the rewarding moment of seeing it all come together on a couple’s big day! It wasn’t long before I realized I had found a new passion in event planning!

After graduation in the spring of 2012, I walked away with a diploma, some larger than life student-loan debt, quite a bit of free time, and a yearning for something more. I wanted to give back. I was so enthusiastic about events, but wanted any (all) of my volunteer efforts to be put towards meaningful work. If I was going to be giving of myself, I wanted it to be in the service of others. A friend of mine was on staff at the Ronald McDonald House and invited me in for a tour. As we walked through the halls, she spoke of the young professionals group dedicated to supporting the volunteer and fundraising needs of the House. These young men and women (of the Red Shoe Society) took part in hands-on opportunities such as cooking meals for the families, donating items, peer-to-peer fundraising, awareness of the mission and planning & organizing, you guessed it, special events! I joined immediately and began attending the monthly meetups. I was soon introduced to Jamie, the Special Events Director and other Red Shoe Members who invited me to be on the planning committee of one of Red Shoe Society’s biggest events, A Toast to Tinseltown.

For the next four years, I volunteered on the Red Shoe Society. Through networking and volunteering, I built relationships with those that shared the mission of the House and followed suit by building friendships with many of the members on staff as well. I continued to work full-time in a corporate office where I facilitated multiple in-kind giving opportunities, collected pop tabs for the Pop Tab Program and invited coworkers to come see first-hand, the House that Love Built. I wanted to share the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities with anyone that was willing to listen.

A few months ago, I got a call from Jamie with the opportunity of a lifetime. She asked me to be a part of the RMHC team as a full-time staff member. I couldn’t hold back the tears! As the Strategic Partnerships Associate, I now lead the young professionals of the Red Shoe Society and host multiple special events for the organization throughout the year! Here at the House, I am surrounded by staff members that I have, for so many years, grown to know and love. Here, I am able to work alongside volunteers who give selflessly of their time and hearts to make the lives of others a little bit easier. It is here, at the Ronald McDonald House that I was finally able to find myself, only after losing myself in the service of others.

By Katie Cannon, Team RMHC Member

Katie (left) with Rachel at the Cap City Half-Marathon

I promised myself that I would run a half marathon before I turned 50. Being that my longest run ever was 4 miles, this truly would be a major accomplishment for me.

I am not a runner. In fact, I hate to run. When I saw that the Columbus Ronald McDonald House had a fundraising team for the half marathon, I joined immediately. Running for RMHC was the incentive I needed to keep on training, especially because I have personally witnessed why the Columbus Ronald McDonald House is a necessity for families at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I couldn’t give up on myself because I would then be giving up on the families that needed the RMH!

My oldest child, Rachel, was born on December 4^th, 1991, with a very serious heart defect. Her first three months of life and many, many future days and weeks were spent in Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

During this stressful time, my ex-husband and I had the luxury of our child being hospitalized in the city in which we actually lived. We could go home every night to our own bed; our families kept our fridge stocked with food, and we never lacked for visitors to sit with us during the scariest times ever of our whole lives!

I couldn’t even imagine dealing with a Rachel’s hospitalization, far from our own home and support system. Yet I met so many parents that were doing exactly that and remaining strong because of the Ronald McDonald House. Until my time with Rachel at Children’s, I just thought the Ronald McDonald House was basically a hotel that parents could stay in for a very small cost. Wow, was I ever wrong!

The Ronald McDonald House does provide the hotel-type rooms at very little or no costs. However, it provides so much more. RMHC families get a true family to go home to every night by just walking across the street, instead of driving hours to their far away homes. There are home cooked meals waiting every night. Most importantly, because of volunteers, there is a built in support system, to help through those very long and scary times.

Thank you to RMHC of Central Ohio! I am so proud to have helped this great cause! I thank you for being the incentive to check “run a half marathon before you are 50” off of the bucket list!

To learn more about Team RMHC, click here.

By Abby Brumme

Abby with Jenna, one of the BGSU Dance Marathon miracle children

“As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf. If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was pretty much always that I was going to be a teacher, an actress, or ballerina, but we all know how that goes. If you asked me what I was going to do for my career when I started college, I would have again said that I was going to be a teacher. Here I am at my desk at RMHC of Central Ohio as the Development Associate with a Communications degree and I couldn’t be happier.

How did I end up here? Miracles. Miracles like Jenna, Brandt, Jackson, Lyndon, Robert, Carly, Dylan and so many more. I was lucky enough to get to know these little miracles through Dance Marathon, which raised money for the local children’s hospital at BGSU and I knew immediately that my career path was going to be changing. I met children who spent the beginning of their lives in the hospital, children who have beat all the odds, children who have gone to more doctors’ appointments in their short lives than most people will ever have to, but most importantly children who never wiped the smile off their faces or gave up hope no matter what they were going through. Spending time with these miracle children led me realize that my path in life was going to change and for the better.

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would have graduated college and within weeks begin working for such a rewarding organization. Every day at work I see new miracles coming through our doors who are also working to beat the odds against them. Not only do I see the many miracles who stay here at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, but I also see countless volunteers, community members, organizations and so many others who selflessly give to create a welcoming home-away-from-home for the many families who stay with us. It’s true what the quote says–by losing myself in the service of others I found my path and my happiness.

By Dan Wyatt, Cardinal Health Employee

Riley, at her 10th birthday

Beginning in January of 2014 my daughter, Riley, began to suffer from continual illnesses. After almost 2 months of constant doctors’ visits, she was finally diagnosed with HSP (Henoch-Schonlein Purpura). HSP is a form of blood vessel inflammation or vasculitis. HSP affects the small vessels called capillaries in the skin and frequently the kidneys. HSP results in a purplish skin rash associated with joint inflammation (arthritis) and sometimes cramping pain in the abdomen. As with most illnesses, its severity ranges from mild to extreme. Unfortunately we were about to find out Riley will soon be diagnosed with its most severe form.

On Riley’s 9^th birthday (March of 2014) we were attempting to celebrate her birthday. We hadn’t even cut her cake when she leaned over to me and said “Daddy, something’s wrong.” Within minutes my wife and I were rushing Riley to Nationwide Children’s Hospital with severe internal bleeding. Within the course of one hour, Riley had lost all the blood in her body, twice. Without knowing the exact point of the internal bleed, numerous tests were being run while she was being given emergency blood transfusions. This is when we were told of the severity of the HSP and the critical situation Riley was now in. She was literally fighting for her life. After what seemed like forever, Riley was finally stabilized and moved into Children’s ICU, where she spent a week recovering. After still more tests, the doctors were not able to find the source of the bleed. She was eventually released with a high dose of steroids, to help with the internal bleeding, a course of 30 days of antibiotics to keep her from picking up any immediate infections, and pain medications.

A year later, Riley still suffers from HSP, however its side effects of the rashes, the severe stomach cramping and joint pain has been greatly reduced. Her specialist at Children’s finally gave the green light to discontinue the steroids and pain medications as of March 1st; and we hope that by the end of this year, she will be discharged from his care. At this year’s birthday celebration, Riley was surrounded by family and a dozen of her closest girlfriends! It truly was a celebration of her life!

I have been volunteering at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House for the past couple years and I have always been touched by the stories of those with children spending time at the hospital. After I became one of those parents who spent more time at the hospital, rather than at home with their child, volunteering here took on a whole new meaning. I grew even fonder of the services that both Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Columbus Ronald McDonald House provide to those in need.

By Erica Hollar

Erica (far right) at the RMHC red carpet gala, A Toast to Tinseltown

Five years ago after finishing law school, I moved back to Columbus. School was over, and I was ready to start my career. Luckily I had found a job, but at the same time, I was looking for something to fulfill my desire to give back to the community. When we were younger, my mom had always instilled in my sister and I the idea of “paying it forward.” I finally felt like I was at a point where it was time for me to start giving to others. My mom, who is CEO and Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House told me about the Red Shoe Society. I thought it would be a great way to not only meet new people, but to also serve an organization my family had become so passionate about.

I joined that year, and since then I have held different offices, attended the best fundraisers in the city, helped others, and met some of the greatest people and some of my best friends. I joined the Red Shoe Society with the idea of helping others; however, I had no idea that by helping others I would be helping myself. When I participate in events through the Red Shoe Society, I feel a sense of fulfillment unlike any other. My personal favorite activity is serving breakfast on Saturday mornings. Something that is so easy, fun and simple for us means the world to the families staying at the House. As we all know, life gets hectic, and that is without a sick kid in the hospital. It’s nice to be able to bring some simplicity to these families that are going through turmoil.

I’m thankful to not only be a part of, but also have a leadership role, in the best young professional group in the city. As life gets hectic, I encourage each of us to remember why we do what we do. A small part of your day means the world to these families! Embrace each opportunity presented to you through the Red Shoe Society and the Ronald McDonald House. The impact that it will have on the families served, as well as you, will be monumental. I promise!

Ethan playing in the NHL All-Star Legacy Tree House

Ethan Graham was born at full-term and looked so perfect. His parents, Ryan and Ashley Graham, could not wait to take him home to see his siblings. A couple weeks later, Ethan was not able to have any bowel movements, so his parents took him to the doctor. Ethan’s doctors knew they weren’t able to give the answers the Graham family was looking for, so they sent Ethan from Kentucky to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville. Vanderbilt could not give any answers as to what was going on with Ethan, so they sent him to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. While at Kosair, Ryan and Ashley found out Ethan had a bleeding disorder, so they sent Ethan and his parents to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The family had a nurse refer them to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, and they arrived right before Christmas of 2013.

Since Ethan has been treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, he has undergone three biopsies and two scopes. He has all of the symptoms for Cystic Fibrosis, but this little boy has not tested positive for this disease, so his diagnosis is still unknown. This has resulted in a lot of travel from the Graham family’s home in Kentucky to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. “We’ve met a lot of families over at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, only to find out the family we have been talking to is also staying at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. We met Story Hill and her parents (an amazing little girl whose story we told in 2014), and learned just how similar our children’s lives were—from living in Kentucky, to having the scary experience of having our children lifeflighted from Kentucky to Nationwide Children’s Hospital—it has been wonderful to know someone who has common ground that can relate to our family’s story.”

Ashley said she is continually blown away by the amenities at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. “We’ve taken so many pictures of Ethan in the library, so it has been fun to see him grow and change. The movie theatre has also been a lifesaver, because Ethan wants to stay up while his dad may want to sleep, so Ethan and I make our way to watch movies there late at night. I was here before, during, and after the expansion. I was here last Friday when they opened the NHL All-Star Tree House—what an amazing space! We love the Columbus Ronald McDonald House because of the volunteers and the sense of community. From listening to a little girl sing “Let It Go” from Frozen during dinner and applauding her for her performance, to bonding with other families in all of the beautiful common spaces, there is no place like the Ronald McDonald House. We are truly grateful for this place!”