Ronald Mcdonald House Of Cleveland Inc

Programs: The house - the ronald mcdonald house (rmh) provides a home-away-from-home for families who are facing one of the most difficult times in their lives - the illness of their child. Rmh provides these families with more than just a comfortable bed and hot meal - they find support, compassion and understanding. Rmh is staffed 24 hours a day and volunteers are available from 9 a. M. To 9 p. M. Each day of the year. Many amenities are available for the families at rmh and play areas are provided so that the healthy siblings and children receiving outpatient care can lead as normal a life as possible. This past year, 1,263 families stayed at the house, and the average length of stay was 20 nights. Of the families staying at the house, 45% were from ohio, 51% were from other states and 4% were international. Families staying at the house are asked for a $20 per night donation to cover a portion of the actual $80 per room per night operating cost. This not only includes the comfortable and private room, but also meals, activities, and tickets to area attractions that are donated by the community; computers to keep in touch with family and friends and to research their child's illness; an indoor recreation area and outdoor gardens to help families relax; laundry facilities available free of charge; and a supportive group of staff and volunteers who help these families through their challenges. No family is ever turned away due to inability to pay, and often the suggested donation is reduced or waived in cases of financial hardship. Approximately half of the families staying at the house cannot afford the room donation, resulting in almost $136,000 in forgiven room payments. In 2017, the rmh rise & dine program was introduced. Instead of groups planning their meals and purchasing the ingredients, they are given the option to donate $400 in order to have a local chef plan the meal and purchase the ingredients. The group works with the chef to prepare a nice, healthy meal for the families. It becomes a mini cooking lesson for the group and provides an upscale meal for the families. In order to keep pace with the increased demand for rmh services and answering the needs of families, rmh successfully completed a $12 million capital campaign to expand and renovate the facility. In addition to the individual, foundation, and corporate support, rmh strategically integrated new market tax credits into the financing of the capital campaign, the first rmh in the country to ever receive this type of funding. The ribbon was cut on the new addition and renovation on november 15, 2013, increasing the number of available rooms from 37 to 55.

family rooms - the ronald mcdonald family room program allows rmh to serve families while they are at the hospital, enabling them to stay close to their child's bedside. Staffed by volunteers from 9 a. M. To 9 p. M. Seven days a week, the family room provides families at the hospital with a warm, comfortable atmosphere where they can have a brief respite from the clinical hospital environment. In 2006, rmh opened the first ronald mcdonald family room in ohio at university hospital's rainbow babies & children's hospital. In 2008, rmh opened the second family room at the cleveland clinic children's hospital, followed by cleveland clinic fairview in 2009, and metrohealth medical center in 2010. In order to accommodate the demand for a place for a parent to stay close to their child at cleveland clinic fairview, rmh added two overnight respite rooms to the family room. Rmh anticipates opening four respite rooms at metrohealth in 2018. This past year, almost 80,000 visitors made use of the amenities offered in our family rooms including the respite rooms, a lounge area, kitchen with light refreshments, laundry facilities, computer with internet access, children's play area, and shower facilities, or were served by the rmh happy wheels cart which is taken directly to patients' rooms.

redtreehouse. Org, ronald mcdonald family resource link - formerly known as tools for today and tomorrow, redtreehouse. Org was created in 2004 based on feedback from families staying at the house. Families stated that they felt comfortable while at the house because rmh staff and volunteers could point them in the direction of resources that could benefit them. When they left the house, this safety net of support was gone and the families had a difficult time finding the resources available to them. Rmh formed a partnership with 8 local organizations that support families with a child who has a disability or chronic illness. By 2010, this network had grown from 8 founding organizations to 40 partners. The purpose of redtreehouse. Org is to provide information and resources that can help families with their challenging journey. This is accomplished through a website that serves as a clearinghouse for hundreds of valuable resources, a listing of support groups throughout the area, and a web-based community calendar with information on educational workshops. Educational webinars will be added in 2018. In 2017, redtreehouse. Org served over 32,000 visitors to the website.