Many of us have only really heard about Ronald McDonald House Charities from frequenting an actual McDonald’s location; you’ll see their logo on the change boxes by the registers, or at the drive-through as you pick up your sweet tea and chicken nuggets.
But what happens with all the change in those boxes, and what’s the story behind the actual Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas, tucked unsuspectingly across the street from Greenville Memorial Hospital on Grove Road?
I sat down with a few of the staff, volunteers, and board members to find out about more about what goes on behind those four (soon expanding!) walls, and what we as community can do to help their cause based on our individual Love Languages — and whether you like baking cookies or dancing the night away dressed to the nines, there are so many intentional ways to do just that.
“We discovered I had a rare hip disorder when I was a little kid – my mother caught it, from watching me while I ran around and played. I spent of my childhood in the Shriner’s Hospital in St. Louis – my whole family did. Practically every weekend, we had to pack up and travel there, and then pack up again and come back home because we didn’t have a Ronald McDonald House nearby.”
I sat down with Chris Stoecklein – a current member of the RMHC board of Directors – to hear the “why” behind his involvement in the House. He moved to Greenville in 2012, and upon hearing about our community’s Ronald McDonald House immediately got involved with the Red Shoe Society, which is the young professionals’ group that supports the House.
The Red Shoe Society is always out volunteering in the community — you’ll see them helping out at weekend festivals like Fall for Greenville, decorating the House for the holidays, as well as using their thinking caps and professional skill sets to come up with innovative ways to fundraise to support the house, including the Plane Pull, now in its third year, scheduled for June 23rd this year.
“Some support does come from local McDonald’s owner-operators, but we are 100% locally-funded, and we work hard to find lots of ways for that to happen. We figured pulling a plane was unique — and something different for the people who already go to a lot of galas and golf tournaments, which we also do,” explains Samantha Bauer, who serves as Director of Communications & Events.
In fact, the way the House fundraises is quite intentional — one year’s membership in the Red Shoe Society costs $89, which is the amount it costs to cover a one night’s stay for a family in the House. The live auction during the 18th Annual McGala, this past year was Grecian themed, also included a call to pledge this amount exactly, in order to make this intentional donation more accessible for attendees who were unable to bid on the trip to Greece, which was also up for grabs — truly something for everyone.
Local businesses and donors can Adopt-A-Room for a year to cover the cost of maintaining one of the 12 guestrooms of the House, which gives a family caring for their critically ill child all comforts of home right next door to the hospital, including a comfortable bedroom with a private bath, home-cooked meals, and laundry facilities, to name a few.
In fact, the House has to turn down over 200 families every year, and if you drive by the Grove Road location, you’ll notice a lot of construction equipment because the House is expanding after 28 years in order to give that home away from home to even more families for years to come.
“We’re not just here to help the city; we want to reach as far as we can. We’ve hosted families from 33 counties in South Carolina, 11 different states, 3 different countries — so it’s much bigger than just Greenville, which is a testament to the pediatric care that’s available in Greenville,” Kate Sanders, Director of Administration & Marketing, from her office located in the actual house, atop a balcony that looks down into the living room. “Financial help is so valuable, but there are lots of other ways to be part of this story. Families are coming from far and wide, and we have a direct hand in helping them through something that would be much harder without a place like this. We get to see it every day, and we want to invite our city into seeing it, too.”
Ways to Help (Based on Your Love Language)
The Love Language Profile helps identify the ways you prefer to give and receive love. (If you’d like to discover yours, or learn more about them, click here.)
[Gifts & Acts of Service]
– If you can give financially, do so here! You’ll find instructions to donate by check, online, or over the phone.
– Right this second, the house is in need of regular peanut butter, Splenda packets, and mini Moo creamers! Need more ideas? Check out the current wish list here for a longer list.
[Quality Time & Physical Presence & Words of Affirmation]
– Be a chef for an evening! Your group can come by the house and make a meal for current families. You’ll need to be available from 4:00-6:00pm and be ready to cook for 10-15 people.
– More of a morning person? You can also bake cookies for the house! Contact, Teagan Hance to find out how!
[Words of Encouragement]
– Did you know that on the bottom floor of Greenville Health Sytem’s Childern’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House has a Family Room that can be used by the families of all pediatric patients, even if they’re not staying at the House? Swing by the house with some handwritten notes to leave there!
– The staff and volunteers of the House work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure these families have the best care possible while their child is in the hospital. Find their email addresses here and shoot any of them a happy message! We could all use one every once in a while!
Want to make a day of it? The House has a few upcoming events in early April:
14th Annual RMHCC Golf Classic (April 10-11): The golf tournament will be held at The Cliffs at Mountain Park on April 11, but the pre-tournament pairings party will be held from 6-10pm on April 10 at the Ronald McDonald House. Sign up here!
“The Perfect Wedding” at Greenville Little Theater (Tuesday, April 10 at 8pm): The Newcomers Club of Greater Greenville and the Greenville Little Theater have partnered together to present a one night exclusive performance with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House! “The Perfect Wedding” is a fun comedy with Bill and Rachel trying to pull of the perfect wedding while chaos ensues. Please contact Teagan for info on purchasing tickets ($20 each.)
Red Shoe Society Plane Pull (Rescheduled to June 23rd): The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolina’s Red Shoe Society’s third annual Plane Pull will June 23rd, 2018 from 10 am to 2pm! You can find the festivities next to the Runway Café at the Greenville Downtown Airport. Bring your whole squad, support a team, and join in on the fun!
Subscribe to the Volunteer Newsletter by contacting Volunteer Coordinator Teagan Hance to stay up-to-date on immediate and urgent needs for families currently staying at the house, and look for more ways to help in our Things To Do Newsletter!
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