Page 24 - Giving Guide 2017

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF SPRINGFIELD
34 Chapin Terrace Springfield, MA 01107 Phone: (413) 794-5683
Fax: (413) 794-8199 www.rmhc-wma.org
Board of Directors President: Michael Favreau
Advisory Board President: Patrick Sheehy
YEAR ESTABLISHED
1991
SERVICE AREA
Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to provide a home-away-from- home for ill and recovering children and their families during their treatment at Springfield area specialty hospitals.
WHO WE ARE AND
WHAT WE DO
When children are ill or receiving specialized treatment at Springfield area medical facilities, the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield (RMH Springfield) is a welcome “home-away- from-home” for children and their families. Families have the privacy of their own bedroom and bathroom and communal support of dining and recreation facilities. All the comforts of home.
With Baystate Medical Center (BSMC),
a nationally accredited pediatric hospital next door and Shriners Hospitals for
Children specializing in pediatric orthopedic, rheumatology and much more close by, RMH Springfield is able to provide temporary housing for families with children requiring specialty services offered through these facilities.
Families away from home are focusing on getting treatment for their children. Parents spend their days in the hospital with their child
or going to and from follow-up appointments for surgeries or rigorous outpatient treatments such as prosthetic fittings and physical therapy. They do not have the time or ability to worry over much else. While the child is receiving extensive treatment, daily lodging, meals, and transportation can create a burden of financial hardship that makes accessing that treatment impossible. RMH Springfield offers a safe, clean environment for families and their children to stay together throughout treatment. While
we seek a $15 per night donation, 85% of our families cannot pay anything; however, no family is turned away for their inability to pay. Without RMH Springfield services, treatment would be forever out of reach.
Many families that rely on RMH Springfield require medical attention over a long period and stay at RMH Springfield for an average of 6 months. While at the House, meals, transportation to the hospital (provided
by the hospitals) and daily personal and household necessities are available. There is 24-hour supervision and aid on-site to provide a continuous level of service to families. The communal environment created by housing multiple families within the walls of RMH Springfield adds an additional level of support and understanding for each family. By sharing common areas such as the kitchen, dining room and family areas, guests bond over their similar situations and find hope and comfort in each other’s experiences.
No child should ever be alone – especially not a child in a hospital bed facing difficult treatment plans or intensive procedures to survive
GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Over 60% of our funding comes from donations made by people and organizations just like you. Our online donation is the quickest and easiest way to support the Ronald McDonald House of Springfield. Your donations mean so much to sick children and their families. Without you, we could not give them the help and support they need. Contact Rosemarie Zello at (413) 794-5683 for more information on how you can donate.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteers are a big part of “The House That Love Built”, without them we would not be able to provide all of the assistance to families who stay with us. Volunteers can make a big difference by sharing special talents, cooking
a meal, answering phones, taking messages, helping at our events or just being there
to tend to families’ needs. Contact Skochii Bennett-Polchlopek at (413) 794-5683 for volunteer opportunities or visit: www.rmhc- wma.org/get-involved
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Springfield Advisory Board
Patrick Sheehy, President Margaret Beturne, Past President William Kern, II, Treasurer
Thia Ploubides, Secretary
Todd Bailey
Roberta Bolduc
Diane Brunelle
Myra Camilleri
Molly Dill
Nora Drapalski
Jim Dreikorn
Annamarie Golden
Shannon Jarry
Robert Langevin, Jr.
Catherine McCarron
Victoria Ann Rodriguez
Peter Shrair, Esq.
Beth Thurber
Shana Wilson
CTMA Board, Springfield Team
Michael Favreau, President Stuart Young, Vice President Craig Carr, Secretary
Daniel Ashburn
Kathleen Dennis Colette Dill James Dreikorn John Glenn Richard Katsonas
A24 DECEMBER 2017