Here we are, already one month in to 2020 that opened with a bushfire tragedy that devastatingly impacted lives, homes and wildlife beyond anything that we could ever have imagined and in areas that many of our families come from. We send our humblest of thanks to all the people who have been working so tirelessly over the last few months in fighting and containing the fires, supporting the people and wildlife who have been impacted and for all the clean-up and rebuilding of homes, lives and eco-systems to come.

Showing gratitude and acknowledging people who support all the work we do here at RMHC Sydney is something we highly value and so we have launched our new supporter newsletter for 2020 called News from the Heart.  Here is where we will be sharing our celebrations, acknowledging with gratitude and thanks, all our amazing corporate, community and individual supporters. We will be sharing with you the refurbishments of the House as we continue to work on making our House a Home for our families. We will be showcasing our Family Rooms and Learning Program achievements and sharing stories of our volunteers and staff who are passionately dedicated to making a difference to the families we serve in our programs. And lastly, sharing amazing events for you to be engaged in, attend or support throughout the year.  

So, in advance I thank you for your valued and amazing engagement and commitment in supporting another year of service to families when they need it most.

Simone Daher,

Chief Executive Officer

Our newest Ronald McDonald Family Room program in Wollongong

It’s just been under two months since the new Ronald McDonald Family Room in Wollongong opened its doors on 06.12.19 and it has already served over 1,000 parents and carers.

These numbers reflect a Family Rooms true value in creating a haven for all the anxious and tired parents and carers spending time by their child’s bedside in Hospital.  

“It is a beautiful set-up for parents to recharge their batteries”, wrote one parent, while another wrote, “This room is an absolute godsend.”

With the Family Room being available for families and carers with a sick or injured child staying on the ward or who are being treated in the outpatient clinics, or those with a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, it was estimated that the Family Room will receive more than 500 visits each month and in its first month, it has already well and truly exceeded all expectations.

The new Wollongong Family Room has been designed with the comfort of families in mind, offering a homelike space with a lounge area, TV,  a dining area, a playroom, a fully equipped kitchen as well as laundry and bathroom facilities.

Dianne Mangley, Family Room Co-ordinator has been overjoyed by the community support given to the new Family Room, “the Family Room is staffed by Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney volunteers, they spend their shifts making coffee, baking cakes, preparing meals, washing clothes and most importantly lending a sympathetic ear when needed most.”

“We’ve had such an amazing turnout from the community, with more than 90 volunteer applications wanting to support families in the Room!”

The Ronald McDonald Room in Wollongong is the 19^th in Australia and the third for the greater Sydney region, as Simone Daher, CEO explains, “Our new Family Room was made possible due to the expansion of the children’s ward as part of the stage one redevelopment. The rooms are an opportunity to support families, so they can step out of the clinical environment of the hospital for a while, into a homely environment.”

“Families can be nurtured, so they’re reenergised and ready to go back and nurture their child, which is so important in keeping families together.”

You can support the Wollongong Family Room directly by purchasing a $10 lottery ticket.

Click here and get your tickets now.

Picture on left: Adam McLean (Illawara Murcury)

Volunteers are the heart of our programs - what are the benefits of volunteering?

At Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney, we rely on volunteers to support us in making a beautiful difference in the lives of our families and in keeping our House, three Family Rooms and Learning Program running. Currently we have over 180 amazing volunteers keeping our House and Family Rooms running. So why do they volunteer?  A number of studies have found that there are extensive benefits for people who engage in voluntary work. These include increased happiness, better mental health, stronger communities and new connections.

Our volunteers are the heartbeat of RMHC Sydney, serving the needs of our seriously ill children and their families at our House in Randwick or our Family Rooms in Sydney Children’s Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital or Wollongong Hospital 365 days a year.

Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and contribute their special talents and energy in many different ways during their time spent with us, performing essential functions that keep our spaces clean, ensuring our families are comfortable and delivering smiles when they are needed the most.

In 2010, a study conducted by Voluntary Work Australia found that 36.2% of adults engaged in formal volunteering, which is equivalent to 6.1 million people[1].  These figures don’t include the huge numbers of people who participate in informal volunteering, spontaneous volunteering, or corporate volunteering.

So why are so many people willing to do work that they don’t get paid for? 

Volunteering Australia[2] has found that there are a number of benefits to volunteering. Almost 100% of people engaging in volunteering said that they were satisfied with the experience. In particular, it can lead to increased happiness for the people participating in voluntary work.  The studies show that volunteers are happier, healthier and sleep better than people who don’t volunteer, and 96% of volunteers surveyed said that volunteering makes them happier. In fact, volunteering results in a ‘helper’s high’, a powerful physical and emotional feeling experienced when directly helping others. Just a few hours of volunteer work can make a difference in a person’s happiness and mood. It has also been found that sustained volunteering is associated with better mental health, and that the experience of helping others provides meaning, a sense of self-worth, a social role and positive health enhancement.

As well as the increased happiness and well-being that results from volunteering there are other benefits to participating in voluntary work.  Volunteering creates networks between people that strengthens communities and brings together people who may not have otherwise met.  It also helps connect people to career paths and other opportunities that they may not have had access to. Volunteering teaches people how to work together to solve problems, and in turn improves community life.

At RMHC Sydney we know this is true based on the testimony of our own volunteers. They tell us that volunteering is always rewarding no matter what their role is, and that doing something useful with their time and helping someone who needs it makes them feel useful and happy.

To learn more about volunteering at the House or our Family Rooms in Sydney Children’s Hospital or Royal North Shore, please contact Jane Turner jane.turner@rmhc.org.au or call 02 9382 1622

To volunteer at the Family Room in the Wollongong Hospital, please contact Dianne Mangley dianne.mangley@rmhc.org.au or 0406 657 702

[1] Voluntary Work Australia 2010, op. cit., p.9

[2] Volunteering Australia: Key facts and statistics about volunteering in Australia, 2015

30 ways you can do acts of kindness

This April we are launching the Great Kindness Challenge; this is a great way where you can Pay It Forward with 30 days of kind acts while also raising much needed funds for RMHC Sydney, what could be better? 

Register your interest now