Ronald McDonald House Makes a Difference

By W.A. Muller

Ronald McDonald House New York is nonprofit organization that provides a temporary "home away from home" for pediatric cancer patients and their families. The House located on East 73rd Street in Manhattan, is a supportive and caring environment, which encourages and nurtures the development of child-to-child and parent-to-parent support systems.

The work accomplished by Ronald McDonald House New York would not be possible if it were not for the hard work and dedication set forth by our volunteer corps. In 2014 approximately 250 weekly volunteers and over 150 corporate partners collectively worked over 30,000 hours to sustain the mission of Hope set forth by the board of directors and staff who run the House. They planned bowling trips at Chelsea Piers, visits to the Central Park Zoo, NYC Bus Tours, playtime with therapy dogs, as well as lunches and dinners. They also listen with open ears, provide a shoulder to cry on, or even act as challenging ping-pong opponent.

2015 marks a special year for Ronald McDonald House New York as we plan to bring the wonderful programs offered a the 73rd Street House to the pediatric floors at private and public hospitals located in all 5 Boroughs of New York City. In 2015, RMH-NY is beginning its Happy Wheels Coffee Cart Program at the Hospital for Special Surgery, as well as the construction of Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms at NYU Langone Medical Center in lower Manhattan and Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. The Happy Wheels Coffee Cart is equipped with coffee, healthy drinks and snacks, toys, and other entities to make patients and their caregivers more comfortable during treatment. These carts are designed to circulate the pediatric wards for three-hour time increments. Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms function as miniature Ronald McDonald Houses that each family may utilize while they are at the hospital receiving treatment. Ronald McDonald House has served more than 30,000 families from all over the world for 36 years and plans to increase this number indefinitely.

While the House is equipped with volunteer help at the main location on 73rd Street, volunteers are greatly needed to help bring this outreach programs to life. President and CEO, William T. Sullivan encourages volunteer participation to help run these innovative ventures, "your help is a crucial component in the fight for the health and welfare of these underprivileged sick children and their caregivers." Please join Ronald McDonald House New York's unified and diversified volunteer corps by volunteering for one of our outreach programs.

For more information:
kmorahan@rmh-newyork.org