Locals Help Ronald Mcdonald House Expand
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Community STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE AND EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY SECTION 2 Locals help Ronald McDonald House expand By Kate Daly Photo by Wendy Mattes Special to the Almanac groundbreaking last July, con- struction is progressing on time, Nevaeh dedicated group of local with the underground parking Moses rode donors, board members and basement in place and the at Webb Ranch A and volunteers is pitch- three above-ground floors tak- last summer ing in to help double the size ing shape. while she was of Ronald McDonald House The 40,000-square-foot cur- living at Ronald at Stanford, where families of rent house, with 47 guest rooms, McDonald House patients at Lucile Packard Chil- is slated for remodeling. The two and waiting dren’s Hospital stay. buildings will provide 123 guest for a kidney Construction is underway to rooms, making this the biggest transplant. add a new building that will of 337 Ronald McDonald houses enable the organization to serve worldwide. more families and patients like Bob McIntire of Menlo Park, 6-year-old Nevaeh Moses, who CEO of Nova Partners, a con- last November finally received struction management and real the kidney transplant she had estate development service firm, needed for a year. is volunteering his time as con- For most of that time, she struction manager for the project. and her twin sister and younger Annette Eros, chief executive brother shared a room at the Ron- officer of Ronald McDonald ald McDonald House with their House at Stanford, says the mother, April Moses. Ms. Moses larger facility will help meet says she loved being there because growing demand. Due to medi- the residents are going through cal advances, doctors at Lucile experiences similar to her own. Packard Children’s Hospital “I’ve made some of my best attract and treat more serious friends there,” she says, includ- cases. Also, the hospital is add- ing a woman she calls “her new ing 100 beds by 2017. mother.” The house, which turned To be closer to that woman, away about 40 families a night the board and plans “to try to he was diagnosed with stage daily room cost. Families are the Moseses plan to move from in 2014, is open to families of appeal to more philanthropic four neuroblastoma. asked to pay $10 a night, and about Reno to Las Vegas when Nevaeh patients, 18 and under, who are corporate giving.” McDonald’s They stayed in the area for two 30 percent do, Ms. Eros says. is done with treatment. Right being treated at the hospital and Corp. provides about 10 percent years during Elijah’s cancer treat- Ms. Eros anticipates adding now “home” is a studio apart- reside at least 50 miles from the of the operational budget. Oth- ments, and when he went into staff when the complex is com- ment in Mountain View. The hospital. The average stay at the erwise the house is primarily remission, he returned home to plete. In addition, there will be twins are attending Escondido house in 2014 was 34 days, Ms. reliant on individual donors. Tuolumne, California, where her a need for more volunteers than Elementary School at Stanford. Eros says. About 70 percent of The new complex will include husband works as a machinist the 150 or so people who cur- The family had to move out patients are from California. a common kitchen, dining room, and their older son goes to school. rently help out each week. of Ronald McDonald House at So far, $31.6 million has been children’s activity rooms, a media Now into his third relapse, Eli- Diane Claerbout of Stanford has 520 Sand Hill Road when the raised toward a fundraising goal and business center, laundry room, jah is being home-schooled while been giving free weekly massages new building expansion started of $40.5 million, which includes spa area for free haircuts and mas- he is back at Stanford receiving at Ronald McDonald House for next door. The construction has adding to an endowment to sages, a meditation garden, and chemotherapy, one week on, and eight years. She is on the lookout stirred up too much dust and cover operating costs. playground, as well as administra- two weeks off. When he’s having for another volunteer with just spores for some of the immune- A series of private fundrais- tive offices and conference rooms. treatments, his mother says, she the right touch with families. “We suppressed patients to stay at the ing events have been held, A day pass room will offer a tries to stay at Ronald McDonald really do make a difference to help current facility. Instead they are such as one last summer at the place for local and outpatient House because “it feels like home them relax,” she says. “It is the living in apartments in Moun- Woodside home of Laurie Kraus families to take a nap or shower. away from home.” She likes the most stressful thing to have some- tain View and hotels in San Lacob, a member of the organi- Melody Mainville estimates playroom where Elijah can hang thing wrong with your child.” Carlos and Belmont. zation’s board of directors. The she and her 7-year-old son Elijah out and the warm volunteers. A 52,000-square-foot addition public phase is now underway. have stayed at Ronald McDon- The Mainvilles’ insurance helps Go to rmhstanford.org for to Ronald McDonald House is Longtime supporter Dan Fran- ald House “40 times off and on pay for his stays. In general, insur- more information about Ron- expected to open in a year. Since cis of Woodside recently joined for the last four years,” ever since ance covers $30 to $40 of the $134 ald McDonald House. Grant funds tutoring program for at-risk youth in Belle Haven, EPA Thanks to a three-year $885,000 tutoring and support beyond offer recreational and educational “We know that when an at-risk high school students on proba- federal grant, San Mateo County that offered by a more traditional opportunities for local youth. youth finishes high school and tion and drop the rate on their is launching an effort to combat curriculum, said county spokes- High school graduation rates goes to college or into vocational non-probationary at-risk coun- truancy and boost graduation person Michelle Durand. for East Palo Alto students hover training, the experience can terparts by 50 percent. rates for Belle Haven and East The program will operate out of around 50 percent, attendance be life-changing,” said Deputy “Imagine having the oppor- Palo Alto young people. a former community day school rates fall far short of the Sequoia County Manager Mike Callagy. tunity to attend college when Starting this spring, 80 partici- at 763 Green St. in East Palo Alto. Union High School District Using 10 program areas rang- you never thought you would or pants in a program called “Stu- The site is already occupied by average, and suspension rates ing from athletics to substance being diverted from the judicial dents With Amazing Goals” will the organizations One East Palo are 300 percent higher, accord- abuse, the “Amazing Goals” system to a positive outcome,” work on recovering high school Alto and Live in Peace, which ing to the San Mateo County program aims to reduce truancy said East Palo Alto Mayor Lisa credits and receive mentoring, teach a variety of life skills and Office of Education. by 75 percent for middle and Yarborough-Gauthier. 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