2016 Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT 164 families stayed at the Ronald McDonald House for a total of 2,353 nights 11 RMHC saved families $189,000 NIGHTS in hotel and meal Average length expenses of stay 227 volunteers gave over 17,000 hours of their time and talents of the Ohio Valley 2016 Board of Directors Chuck Hedde, President A Statement From The Josh Gilberg, Vice-President OUR IMPACT Mike O’Daniel, Treasurer EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kay Chapman, Secretary When you enter the Ronald McDonald House, you become Mike Bengert part of our family. Last year, that family consisted of John Briscoe grandparents aiding new, tired parents, neighbors cooking Marco DeLucio breakfast for all and new moms bonding over late-night chats. Darcy Ellison Jim Johnson When you become part of this charity, you are our family. Shelly Johnson Serving others at RMHC is my greatest privilege and a true Sharon Jones blessing. Jim King Joe McEnaney Thank you for keeping families close! Matt Merkel Michelle Musgrave Theresa Floyd-Maas Taylor Payne Executive Director Chris Ryan Steve Schroer Donna Sholtis Paul Snider Staff Theresa Floyd-Maas Executive Director Abigail Adler Development Director Katie Huelsman Communication & Brand Administrator Lydia Balbach Volunteer Coordinator Patty Mueller House Attendant Renee Pate House Attendant Served Families From 12 States CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MISSISSIPPI, OHIO, TENNESSEE, TEXAS AND WISCONSIN 2 A Statement From The EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OUR IMPACT 164 Financials FAMILIES SERVED January-December 2016 REVENUE Special Events 194,053 McDonald’s Canister Collections 140,371 Individual/Corporate Gifts 365,484 Program 14,117 Grants 75,270 SERVED TRI-STATE In-Kind 14,092 FAMILIES FROM Other Revenue 82,010 TOTAL REVENUE 885,397 33 Indiana Counties EXPENSES 15 Programming 57% Illinois Counties and Fundraising/Communication 31% Administrative 12% 11 Kentucky Counties 11 3,609 2,353 DAYS NUMBER OF TOTAL NIGHTS OF AVERAGE LENGTH MEALS SERVED STAY OF STAY Served Families From 12 States CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MISSISSIPPI, OHIO, TENNESSEE, TEXAS AND WISCONSIN 3 HERE COMES THE HAPPY! VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Happy Wheels Cart Martha Doan This program launched in December 2015 at The Women’s Hospital. Since then the program has quickly grown. The Happy Wheels Cart now serves up smiles for families at Gateway PEDS, Deaconess Gateway Riley Children’s Services in Newburgh, Indiana and at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper, Indiana. As RMHC volunteers (known as the “Cart Crew”) stroll the hospital hallways, the Happy Wheels Cart offers complimentary beverages, snacks, small toys and toiletries to patients and their families. Besides the immediate needs these small tokens meet, they provide simple reminders to families that they have a network of supporters during such a challenging time. If you would like to learn more about donating items to stock the cart or about volunteering for the Cart Crew, visit www.rmhcohiovalley.org/happywheelscart OVER 6,500 children and adults have been impacted by the Happy Wheels Cart! 4 rmhcohiovalley.org HERE COMES THE HAPPY! VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Happy Wheels Cart Martha Doan Have you ever heard the phrase, “Work not to make your presence known, but your absence felt”? Martha Doan, RMHC’s Volunteer of the Year for 2016, embodies these words. Active in all areas of RMHC volunteerism— Martha serves at the House, is part of the Cart Crew for the Happy Wheels Cart, serves at special events, and encourages families with her smile and generous spirit. She’s not one to draw attention to herself, but when a task is underway, it’s easy to tell when it’s had “Martha’s touch.” She believes in doing things to the best of her ability and takes pride in accomplishing things to benefit others. Martha serves from a “pay it forward” perspective. Martha’s granddaughter, now a spunky girl who enjoys all that life has to offer, struggled greatly during the first year of her life. Hospitalizations, surgeries, and many tests required quick access for Martha’s daughter and granddaughter to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. Through the worry, long days, sleepless nights, and constant prayers, the girls had a place to stay at RMHC of Central Indiana (Indianapolis RMH). Martha experienced first-hand what having the comforts of home means to a family navigating a child’s health crisis. The mission of the charity connected with Martha on every level and she’s been “paying it forward” at the Evansville RMHC chapter ever since. Recently, Martha recruited her husband, Larry, to serve on the Cart Crew with her. They share smiles and snacks within the halls of The Women’s Hospital and Deaconess/Riley Children’s Services. Martha says she can very much empathize with these families since she has truly walked a mile in their shoes. “There’s nothing more heartbreaking than watching someone you love struggle and suffer; that road seems so long and lonely even with a light at the end,” Martha shakes her head and sighs as she says these words. Then she’s right back to smiling and adds, “This place IS the light at the end of a long day and there’s hope here and encouragement here and a renewed sense of purpose for all who enter.” Martha has certainly found her purpose and takes delight in serving others. Thank you Martha for shining your light to keep families close! 2016 Community Impact Report 5 “The doctors at St. Mary’s helped save my son, the rehab at HealthSouth got Tommy back on his feet…but the Ronald McDonald House helped save us.” MEET THE O’NEAL FAMILY - O’Neal Family Joy is truly in the journey... And this roofing project, bad weather was coming and they journey is all the more sweet when worked together to get the job done. They worked surrounded by the love of family. From so well together that they even had time to stop in changing diapers to play time, to at an elderly widow’s home to check on a problem schoolwork, soccer practice, vacations and she was having with her flooring. Tommy was birthdays, first cars, graduations, holidays right there to help, he really enjoys helping others and everything in between – these are and has even served on various mission trips. the moments that make the joy of family unlike any other. These are the shining The men identified the problem-- It was going moments we preserve and proudly to require all of them to inch their way through display……they make us smile, laugh, and a dark, damp, and cramped crawl space to fix beam with pride. a broken beam. They had to use extra caution as they inched their way over broken glass, But what about those “in between” twisted metal, and mud. Tommy made his way times? What about those moments that in the furthest- about 20 feet. There was no way challenge you, test your limits, try your any of them could’ve known what was about to strength, and threaten to steal your happen…. A live wire, his heart stopped, and now family’s joy? It’s not easy to think about, Donnie was quite literally holding his youngest but we probably all have…the dreaded son’s life in his hands. It seemed an eternity to get “what if?” A diagnosis? A phone call? Tommy out from under the house and start CPR. Life changes so completely in one small moment and now your child needs you But Donnie was tireless in his efforts to perform life like never before. Such was the case for saving CPR to his son while the others called for Tommy… help. When the first responders arrived, they had to practically push Donnie off of his son in order Tommy is the youngest of 3 boys from a to take over and transport Tommy to the hospital. hardworking farm family. And at 17-years-old, An ordinary day has taken an extraordinary and his parents, Donnie and Rhonda, are closing in chaotic turn….and a 17-year-olds life hangs in the on a new chapter for their family, the empty nest. balance. Donnie smiles with pride when he tells you he raised “3 alpha males under one roof.” Rhonda The seriousness of Tommy’s condition warranted will tell you of all her boys, Tommy is the spitting Life Flight to St. Mary’s in Evansville—a 28-minute image of his father. They are a strong and capable flight from Southern Illinois. When Donnie and family, generous with their time and always willing Rhonda arrived in Evansville, the news was not to lend a hand. good …Tommy’s brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long, if he did survive his quality On this particular day, Donnie and Tommy and two of life was still questionable. Rhonda, a woman other men from their community were finishing up a of few words, had only this response, “My God 6 rmhcohiovalley.org “The doctors at St. Mary’s helped save my son, the rehab at HealthSouth got Tommy back on his feet…but the Ronald McDonald House helped save us.” MEET THE O’NEAL FAMILY - O’Neal Family will have something to say about that.” Tommy’s mother, father, and brothers held vigil for 3 days – they never left the hospital. Exhaustion doesn’t begin to describe their physical state; a nurse had mentioned the Ronald McDonald House. Donnie & Rhonda had heard of the Ronald McDonald House, but never imagined they would have a need for a “home away from home”, but that’s just what they found when they walked though those doors.