Family Service Managers: Unsung Heroes of RMHC
May 18, 2016By Darla Stover, Program Director
A sweet photo of a family our Family Service Managers support. Photo by Marcy Harris Photos
The Columbus Ronald McDonald House is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even while our families are sleeping and re-energizing for the next day, 2 Family Services Managers are up all night tallying numbers for the day and preparing the House for the next day. The overnight staff takes pride in making sure that the kitchens, common areas and hallways are clean and the coffee is made so the families can wake up and worry only about one thing: taking care of their child. The Family Services staff at Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio is a group of 25 managers, some full-time employees but most are part-time. Some of the Family Service Managers have other full-time jobs, some are attending school and yet others have children of their own they are raising.
Family Service Managers (FSMs) check families in and out. When checking families in, FSMs make sure the families know the rules of the House, where all the amenities are located as well as offer emotional support to families who are going through perhaps the most difficult time in their lives. To welcome them to the Ronald McDonald House, each family is given a Thirty-One Gifts tote bag filled with a blanket, stuffed animal and many other goodies. While families are staying at the House, the Family Service Managers make sure they have everything they need and try to take away all of the worries associated with being away from home. FSMs give out toiletries, laundry detergent, alert the families when meals are ready, as well as discuss sensitive situations with hospital social workers. All of these tasks are done to make the families as comfortable and cared for as much as possible so their main focus can be taking care of their child. Aside from caring for our families, the Family Service Managers, are constantly processing room requests received from the area hospitals. In order to process a request, they must run a background check, confirm the child’s appointment as well as determine availability on the request day. FSMs inspect each room before placing a family to ensure cleanliness and a welcoming environment for the family soon to be staying there. Each family upon checkout is given Girl Scout cookies for their trip home. Although a donation is not required, each family is asked to contribute for their stay or to help families in the future to stay close to their hospitalized child.
Our Family Service Managers keep the House safe while the families are sleeping, eating, relaxing, playing and re-energizing. They lend a hand, smile, give a hug, and just listen. They are always in tune with the needs of each family. The Family Service Managers are a most caring and compassionate group of people that dedicate themselves to the care, safety and happiness of each family walking through the doors of the Ronald McDonald House. They have the incredible ability to set their own problems aside during their shifts and focus on the families’ needs and wants. Many times it is the first person that the family meets when walking into the House that leaves the biggest impression on them and their experience while they stay here. For this very reason, the Family Service Managers take great care of the families who may be very fragile, stressed and tired. This group of managers possesses the unique ability to be business-minded, safety conscious and compassionate all at the same time. The families of hospitalized children who stay at the Ronald McDonald House could not be accommodated without the help, love and care of our Family Service Managers. We are forever grateful for them.
My Incredible, yet Very Unexpected, Opportunity
August 13, 2014By Madeline Hadley
Madeline (on the left), one of our summer interns
When I applied to be an intern at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, I didn’t have any idea what I was getting myself into. To be honest, my choice to volunteer at the House’s office was really just a last-minute decision of how to spend the summer after my freshman year of college.
At the start of this summer, I had looked for jobs and internships but found nothing that really interested me. I remembered my older sister volunteering for the House a few years ago and knew that my aunt has worked closely with RMHC for several years, so I finally decided to utilize this connection and asked my aunt for someone to contact about volunteering. With my Business Administration and Marketing interests in mind, she advised me to reach out to Marketing Director, Ryan Wilkins and Marketing Coordinator, Mackenzie Schuler.
In less than a week, I started my internship. Little did I know that my position would entail much more than just marketing work. Throughout the month I’ve been here, I have done everything from bagging brownies for the Golf Outing to helping set up hundreds of center pieces for the Thirty-One Gifts Conference, in addition to assisting Ryan and Mackenzie in revamping the House’s marketing publications.
Along the way, I have worked with some incredible people who make the Ronald McDonald House such a special and inviting place for both guests and volunteers. I always feel welcomed and love working in such a Home-y (no pun intended!) environment. I can enjoy and take pride in whatever I do, knowing that I’m contributing to such an amazing organization. I cannot thank Ryan and Mackenzie enough for allowing me this wonderful opportunity as it turned out to be both a learning and fulfilling experience.
I never thought sitting at a desk could feel rewarding, but walking into the House every day and seeing the families that I’m working for reminds me that each task I do—no matter how big or small—is, in some way, having a huge impact on these families’ lives.
Thirty-One Gifts—Gifting RMHC in Many Ways
January 15, 2014
Thirty-One Gifts staff making meals at RMHC of Central Ohio
by Mackenzie Schuler
For many of us, getting Thirty-One Gifts products is something we look forward to whenever a new catalog comes out, looking at all of the new prints, and debating over which product we want to choose. For families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, having free time to pour over prints is not something they have the time for—they are focused on helping their child heal at one of our area hospitals. However, families staying at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House are being exposed to all of the wonderful ways Thirty-One Gifts is giving back to RMHC—their organization really is the gift that keeps on giving! I want to take a moment to highlight some of the great ways this organization is helping Ronald McDonald House Charities.
- Meals: On the 31st of every month, some of the Thirty-One Gifts team (based in Columbus) comes into our House to make dinner for our families. Every time they come in, they bring totes filled with their delicious food and are decked out in their black Thirty-One Gifts aprons. Their staff always serves up love with every meal they create for our families.
- New Year’s Eve: When the Thirty-One Gifts crew comes to make dinner on New Year’s Eve, they bring the party with them! They help bring in a celebration, complete with noisemakers, hats, and balloons to ring in the new year! Their staff does an incredible job to bring in cheer for our families who are going through a difficult time.
- Welcome Bags: In 2013, Thirty-One Gifts became a partner with RMHC Global, which has been a wonderful and mutually beneficial relationship for both organizations. To kick off this fantastic partnership, Thirty-One Gifts committed to providing welcome bags in every Ronald McDonald House! Many families do not expect to come to the Ronald McDonald House, so the bag is filled with items they may need, like toiletries, so they have one less thing to worry about while their children are in the hospital.
- Thermal Totes: Another generous way Thirty-One Gifts is giving back to RMHC is by creating a beautiful red and white striped thermal tote, with $0.31 of every tote sold going back to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
By having the generosity of Thirty-One Gifts, we are able to continue on with our mission of serving families of seriously-ill children in central Ohio. They truly understand and empathize with what the families are going through, and go above and beyond the call of duty to help our families each and every day at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. We are so grateful for all of the support Thirty-One Gifts provides to us here at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. Their support is a gift that is unmatched!