This week's Thankful Thursday charity spotlights the Ronald McDonald House. I have several friends who were touched by the mission and vision of the Ronald McDonald House and since I think they say it best, I'll let them tell you why they asked me to spotlight this charity.
Kelly M. said: I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Texas. When my oldest son was born he contracted group B strep from me. The Army doctors said he could die. When I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House they provided so much help to families as far as housing and food so that those families could be near their kids. It was a God send for them. I was lucky that my son was under military care but others have no resources to help them and the Ronald McDonald House helps them. The charity is a good one.
Maureen Z. writes: I used to work at University of Chicago Hospitals. There are three hospitals on campus, one of them a children's hospital. Part of my job was to test the air for pathogenic molds in immunocompromised patients' rooms. The children were from all over the country, most of them with life-threatening illnesses. The Ronald McDonald House offered a place for the families to stay, on a sliding fee scale, usually for free. It is a non-profit organization that helps families be close to their children during a particularly trying and stressful time. The facility was very nice, well cared for and run by some very kind folks. Thought it would be nice to keep it that way. =]
Rachael FC. shares: I live in a remote area in Upstate NY. When I was pregnant for my youngest daughter, I caught the chicken pox. My water broke and I started having contractions 9 weeks before my due date. I had to be airlifted to Burlington VT to have my daughter because they expected her to weigh less than 3 pounds. Ronald McDonald House went out of their way to make sure that I did not have to go through it alone. Being more than 3 hours from home, they made it possible for my husband to stay close by and be with me during the birth.
After she was born she was in the NICU for a week...I was unable to go in with her, because I would expose her to the chicken pox. Again, because my husband was put up in the RMH, he was able to go in everyday and hold our daughter. If it wasn't for RMH, we wouldn't have been able to get through it without the stress of being so far away. They were great...and I was very thankful to have them there!
WOW! Someone who volunteered at RMH, someone who worked at a hospital that was associated with RMH and someone who was on the receiving end of RMH. Ronald McDonald House has a vision statement that really struck a chord with me. It says, "We believe that when you change a child's life, you change a family's, which can change a community, and ultimately the world.
Being in the hospital is a traumatic experience for a child. They are comforted when their family members are close by and I am more than happy to help make this happen. RMH can't do it alone so this week my $5 donation will be going to Ronald McDonald House. I know it's not much but I'd encourage you to take a moment and send them $1 today. If everyone did that what a difference we could make! Consider sharing my blog link and spreading the word about this awesome charity. Let's let 2011 be the year that WE make a difference.
Click HERE!!! to donate today.
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WOW! What a wonderful message. Thanks for your support of Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Ronald McDonald House Program.
ReplyDeleteI work for the Global organization and like you said, it is a wonderful Charity to work for, a wonderful opportunity to help others and make a difference. Influential voices like yours help us spread the word about the impact our programs have in the health and well being of children, families and communities.
Did you know RMHC also has the Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile Programs? To learn more visit www.rmhc.org or you can contact me at 630.623.6573.
THANK YOU for your incredible support! Clara