The start of the New Year rings in exciting times for our local Ronald McDonald House, located downtown near Children’s Hospital and UAB. Families with critically ill children from all over the state travel here for access to Birmingham’s pediatric care. The Ronald McDonald House cares for these families—even helping with their transitions back home—as research shows that supporting the entire family results in better outcomes for everyone. “A family with a sick child is a sick family. So, you must think about everybody,” says Dr. Audrey Evans, founder of the first Ronald McDonald House.
Birmingham’s Ronald McDonald House provides shelter and comfort and practical care for families who live at least 50 miles away, though their Ronald McDonald Family Room is available to families with NICU babies no matter their distance. A recently finished renovation to the Family Life Center, which houses the Family Life program, has allowed for an expanded offering of services. Brasfield & Gorrie completed the work, which included reconfiguring unused space, upgrading the existing kitchen to make it more efficient for the house chef, adding a storage unit for stocking wish list items, and building out the Family Life Center with a common area and office spaces with computers so families can check in at home and work.
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Photographs courtesy of Ronald McDonald House
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Photographs courtesy of Ronald McDonald House
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NIK LAYMAN PHOTO/VIDEO
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Photographs courtesy of Ronald McDonald House
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Photographs courtesy of Ronald McDonald House
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Photographs courtesy of Ronald McDonald House
“Our Family Life program meets the social and emotional needs of the families we serve,” says Stephanie Langford, marketing and communications director. “It goes above and beyond the basic needs of food and shelter.” When families check in to the house, they receive a welcome bag, which includes items like a bag to take back and forth to the hospital and a token for their child to use in the toy store (kids get to visit at various times, such as when they finish chemo, have a good therapy appointment, and on their birthday). Volunteers also prepare snack bags and personal kits that families can grab as needed.
In addition to a family life director/coordinator and social worker interns who schedule activities and time to meet individually with families to assess their practical needs, Ronald McDonald recently hired a permanent chef for the house. “This way,” says Stephanie, “families can be sure there are nourishing meals being made, and our chef is also great about accommodating special dietary needs.” While there is still a smaller kitchen where families can cook themselves if they prefer—“Sometimes it’s very therapeutic to moms to cook for their families,” says Stephanie—having a full-time chef frees up volunteers to focus on since added activities and other programming. Stephanie notes that corporate groups or organizations come in often, typically on a Tuesday or Thursday, to offer fun activities for the families. Bingo is always a favorite. Kitchen helpers still come in to assist with drinks setup or, for example, the toppings bar on Taco Tuesday. There is also a volunteer section on the website, where those interested can sign up to bake cookies or other treats to leave for the families to enjoy.
“It’s important to us to offer a lot of community connection as well,” says Stephanie. “Thanks to amazing community partners, we can offer families tickets to the McWane Center, Birmingham Zoo, events at the BJCC, Barons games—anything where they can go out and be together as a family. We’re all about keeping the family unit intact.” She says the staff is most excited about the programming the expanded facility will allow them to offer, in turn extending care to their families. “Our chapter is on the forefront of family life programming,” she says, explaining that the Alabama chapter frequently visits others to give presentations on their offerings. “Even still, we’ve barely brushed the surface of what we can do.” There are also plans to expand the services of the Happy Wheel Cart, which provides snacks and activities for children who are waiting for clinic appointments at Children’s of Alabama. “Even coloring with parents is an outlet for everyone,” says Stephanie.
“Families come in with a lot of turmoil, uncertainty, and stress. They’re in a new city, they’re learning to navigate the hospital,” says Stephanie. “There are so many little needs they’re unsure of when they come in, and we can help alleviate some of those.” The Family Life team works to ensure family needs are met during their stay and that they have the necessary resources before they go home. The team takes it another step by checking in with the families 120 days post-hospital stay to make sure families have the services they need in their hometowns. “This isn’t about money or demographics,” she says. “No one can afford to stay in a hotel for months, plus [families] are missing out on community. So, the families support each other, too. They talk, have dinner together—there’s a lot going on inside the house.”
For more information and to find ways to volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Ronald McDonald House, visit rmhca.org.
Pop Tab Pandemonium
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama has recently expanded their Pop Tab Program. The chapter partners with SA Recycling, A&S Metals, and Capital Recycling to receive funds based on the going rate recycled aluminum. The program brings in nearly $10,000 annually, which goes to support the house’s mission, purchase supplies, and pay utility bills. “Kids want to help kids, and this is a great way to introduce them to philanthropy,” says Stephanie, who says people often come in to drop off their tabs, take a tour of the house, and end up wanting to get more involved. “Pop tabs are an easy way for families to get involved.”
In addition to schools competing in Pop Tab Pandemonium, a contest to collect the most pop tabs, the community can participate as well. “We’re taking it to another level! We now have a community organization contest, and the breweries are competing in Battle of the Breweries. To learn more about participating, visit rmhca.org/pop-tab-program.