North Texas Giving Day 2022: Ronald McDonald House
Editor’s note: In light of North Texas Giving Day, we asked for “elevator pitches” from some of our local nonprofits participating in the big day for our special Giving People section in our September print issues.
When a child is medically fragile, requires life-saving treatment, or is not able to leave the hospital, the entire family requires care. Every family deserves to be able to focus on the care of that child in a supportive environment. Imagine having to think about grocery shopping, open-ended hotel reservations, support for siblings, and navigating what can be lonely times during such an emergency.
By providing a caring, supportive, home-like environment, Ronald McDonald House of Dallas (RMHD) keeps the family intact and helps allow a family to establish a normal routine in the midst of crisis. It also provides families with the opportunity to share their concerns with other families in similar circumstances. Established in 1981, RMHD (www.rmhdallas.org) has served as a home-away-from-home for more than 40,000 families of seriously ill children who have traveled to Dallas seeking medical treatment in area hospitals.
The House is as busy as it has ever been, making space for families who are seeking medical treatment for their sick children and are proud to be one of the few Houses in the country to provide three meals a day, every day of the year. However, the pandemic has chased away nearly 50% of their volunteers and seen utility costs rise by 39%. 2022 has seen RMHD surpass pre-COVID numbers in families staying at the House due to RMHD’s expansion of 30 rooms in early 2020. RMHD needs over 17,000 volunteers each year and at least 49 volunteers a day to support the House at full capacity.
RMHD is putting a call out for volunteers to join the mission and play a crucial role in making life easier for the families they serve. For those who want to support the House but can’t be there in person, RMHD is asking for support in helping to defray the electricity and water costs that have surged this year or for groups to sign up to provide Meals That Heal. Meals are scheduled by community groups who prepare the meals at the House. It is a comfort for the families to know there is a home-cooked meal waiting for them after a long day at the hospital. Groups are responsible for planning the meal, buying the ingredients, bringing everything into the on-site kitchen and cooking there at the House. Serving and cleanup are in addition to these tasks. Groups are also welcome to cater food in from another commercial kitchen.
Donations of your time, talent, or treasure make it possible for RMHD to help keep families close to each other and the medical care they need. Please visit the Donate Today page or contact Diane Fullingim at dfullingim@rmhdallas.org.
