Ronald McDonald House Charities Archives

Summer Giving: Ronald McDonald House of Durham

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to volunteer and at the Ronald McDonald House of Durham with my co-workers and we collectively decided to bake cupcakes from scratch for all the residents currently residing there. The Ronald McDonald House of Durham opened it’s doors in 1980 and has served over 29,000 children and their families. The Ronald McDonald House of Durham provides a “home away from home” for families with sick children so they don’t have to worry about things like… Where they are going to sleep or what they are going to eat and can focus on the well being of their child. Whether a child is being treated for a short period of time or receiving long term medical treatment when you stay at the Ronald McDonald House you feel like your at home. There are private bedrooms, community spaces, play areas, fully stocked kitchen and home cooked meals that is supported by a dedicated network of other families, volunteers and staff. As a Girl Scouts employee I definitely understand the need for support from volunteers and pride myself in giving back to a variety of organizations as community service on a regular basis for social good.

Quick Facts: (Credit: Ronald McDonald House of Durham)
– The House welcomes up to 55 families each night
– Family stays vary from a single night to as long as a year
– It costs an average of $100 per night to house a family
– Families are asked to contribute $10-$15/night but are never turned away
– In 2012, they provided 760 families with more than 9,200 night stays
– 76% of families are from NC but, they also served families from 22 US States and four foreign countries in 2012.
– Last year the Family Rooms located at Duke University and WakeMed Children’s Hospitals hosted nearly 38,000 visitors.
– It takes more than 3,500 volunteer hours each month to keep things running.
– Each family that stays makes a tile to put on the ceiling at RMHD

What I learned when I was at the Ronald McDonald house was that during the year, the calendar of volunteers and donations is pretty steady but tends to slow down during the summer months. I can see that happening when families go away for summer vacation, students are out of college for the summer months, or Corporations and Groups take a summer break. You can help by donating items on their wish list and checking out the Ronald McDonald House of Durham website for immediate urgent needs. You also have the option of purchasing items from Amazon and having it shipped directly to the house. I think that’s really neat! There are many ways kids can help too, just a reminder that anyone 18 and under needs to have an adult accompany them at the house. Activities at the Ronald McDonald house include Taste of Home: You can prepare and serve a home cooked meal for families staying at RMHD. Bakers: Bake some of your favorite treats like we did for the RMHD residents. Activities: Plan a after dinner activity for families and friends at RMHD.

So, there are ways you can help from home aside from the wish list you can help with fundraising by collecting pop tabs for recycling. In 2012 nearly $17,000 was raised for RMHD from pop tabs. Holiday in a box is another way to volunteer by donating new holiday decorations for families to decorate their personal spaces for the holidays. Red Nose society is a great school fundraiser to raise funds for RMHD. Welcome Packs help new guests get settled when they arrive at RMHD, volunteers donate and put together toiletries that are necessary like toothbrushes, trial size shampoo. toothpaste etc. I think some of these opportunities are great for Girl Scout Troops to do as a troop activity and/or service project. So, if you find that you have some spare time on your hands this summer and would enjoy volunteering some time doing something you love, RMHD needs you! Check out some pictures of my day at RMHD baking eight dozen white cupcakes from scratch. We also donated Girl Scout Cookies and it was a really rewarding feeling. The residents were so friendly, inviting and genuinely appreciated what we were doing.

** Special thanks to Veronica Yoshida, Owner of Southern Gold Leaf Cakes for providing us with a special baking class to make yummy scratch made cupcakes for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham.**

McDonald’s Make Your Own Wrap Contest

McDonald’s hosted a make your own wrap contest at the Capital Blvd. location in Raleigh, NC and I had such a great time. There were five contestants, myself included and we competed in creating the three new McWrap flavors (Sweet Chili Chicken, Chicken Bacon, and Chicken Ranch) within 60 seconds for each wrap. There were three rounds and we were judged on accuracy, time, and presentation. The judges were three area McDonald’s Owner Operators. We had all the fresh ingredients laid out in front of us so that we can easily access it and overall we had FUN! Radio Guests from WRAL 101.5 were there for the festivities and we also had a visit from Ronald McDonald & The Hamburglar! If you haven’t tasted the new McDonald’s McWrap’s you don’t know what you’re missing. Check out my previous post on the new McDonald’s McWraps. Sweet Chili is my absolute favorite! For additional information and nutritional information head over to the McDonald’s website.

We had representatives from the Ronald McDonald House of Durham North Carolina in attendance to participate in the festivities and also give us information about Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Sport A Shirt, Share A Night fundraiser. By purchasing a Sport A Shirt T-Shirt for $10.00, you’ve made it possible for a family to spend one night in the Ronald McDonald House. Ronald McDonald House of Durham operates as a “home away from home” for families with critically ill children. Conveniently located just minutes away from Duke Hospital offering families a the comfort of home with a fully stocked kitchen. The Ronald McDonald House of Durham has 55 bedrooms and suites to accommodate families that need to be close to their critically ill hospitalized child. You can help by donating items on their wish list, monetary donations or you can volunteer. You can visit the Ronald McDonald House of Durham website for more information. Enjoy a few pictures from the event!

Let’s Share Our Hearts For RMHC of NC

*** OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE***McDonald’s restaurants across the Triangle team up with RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities) of NC to raise funds. From January 21 through February 17, McDonald’s locations across the Triangle will be raising money for and awareness of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Carolina with annual “Share Your Heart” fundraiser. “One dollar can travel far and touch many lives.”

Share Your Heart asks McDonald’s customers to donate $1 to RMHC of NC by purchasing a heart during their visit to any of the 146 restaurants in the Triangle. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the campaign will go directly back to RMHC of NC, which helps support the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill & Durham. A portion of the proceeds from EVERY Happy Meal goes directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

If you’d like an opportunity to make a direct impact on local children and families, please support Share Your Heart! Keith Manning a local owner of McDonald’s Durham restaurants states that Share Your Heart does create an opportunity that directly affects your community and If ten customers walk into Triangle-area McDonald’s and donates a dollar, that combined effort will pay for one family’s night at a Ronald McDonald House.

More than 400 McDonald’s restaurants across North Carolina and South Carolina participate in this annual fundraiser. In 2012 more than $240,000 was raised for RMHC of NC through Share Your Heart.

General Information: Since 1980, the Ronald McDonald House of Durham has allowed families to focus on health and well being of their critically ill children by keeping families together who are in need of a community of hope, comfort and empathy. Since 2010 WakeMed has serviced a Ronald McDonald Family Room located in Wake Med’s new Children’s Hospital on WakeMed’s Raleigh Campus. The Ronald McDonald Family Room of Duke is open 365 days a year and is located on the pediatric floor of Duke Medical Center and offers families a feeling of security.

Each year, Ronald McDonald house of Chapel Hill provides over 1,800 families with serious ill or injured children the basic necessities and comforts of home so they can focus on caring for a sick child. Approximately, 99% of families come to Chapel Hill for treatment at NC Children’s Hospital. In May of 2011 a Ronald McDonald Family room was opened on the seventh floor of the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. The family room extends comfort and care to all inpatient families.

For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Carolina, the Share Your Heart campaign or to volunteer or donate, visit Ronald McDonald House Charities of NC.