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 19th 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.”
Picture on left: Adam McLean (Illawara Murcury)
Thank you for supporting 746 families at the House in 2019.
Over 8,600 meals were served, over 4,700 families used our Family Room and 746 families stayed at the House in 2019. Thank you for supporting us in making a difference and easing the burdens of our families in 2019. We hope we can count on your support again in 2020. Click below to view our Thank you video.
‘Pay It Forward’ Employee Engagement Program - Lending a hand to support sick kids and families
Families that stay at Ronald McDonald House Sydney have their world turned upside down. They have to drop everything, come to Sydney Children’s Hospital so their seriously sick child can get the immediate help they need.
We believe in trying to remove the stresses that come with quickly moving your life to focus on the health of your child – that includes providing a place for them to stay, providing a home cooked meal (breakfast, afternoon tea or dinner) or providing a nice clean home that families would appreciate after a long day spent beside their child’s hospital bed.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney, located in Randwick, offer a number of Employee Engagement Programs for your organisation. By participating in one of our programs, you are sure to deliver better staff engagement, improved reputation and you’ll be having a positive impact on the local community.
Why not ‘Pay it Forward’ by signing up to one of our unique and rewarding team-building programs?
The Great Kindness Challenge
At Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney, we see small acts of kindness everyday around the House or Family Rooms. Whether it is a volunteer baking treats at the Family Room, corporate volunteers cooking up a storm, families supporting each other or just offering a sympathetic ear and a cuppa. These acts of kindness make our House a home.
We know that a kind community creates a safe community for families and for kids. Throughout the month of April, we want to help spread the kindness we see every day here in our House into your community by challenging YOU or YOUR TEAM to take the Great Kindness Challenge.
Register here https://fundraise.rmhc.org.au/event/gkc2020 to join the challenge and perhaps create a team where you can create a joint fundraising target with amongst your colleagues, family or friends.
On top of the kindness that will be spread in your community you will also be raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney to support the ongoing needs of sick kids and families that use the House. We have a big goal of raising 240 nights of accommodation for our families through the Great Kindness Challenge. It costs $160 per night for RMHC Sydney to lodge a family, these costs are at no burden to the families that stay with us. With your support, we will be able to ensure accommodation for many families to come use our services in the future.
Get out there and promote your kind acts all across your social media channels and encourage your friends and families to sponsor your through generous donations to RMHC Sydney!
FCIA partners with RMHC Sydney to provide unique community training for NSW flooring apprentices
The FCIA is proud to be working with Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney (RMHC Sydney) to refurbish the flooring at their House in Randwick. The new flooring, provided and installed free of charge by the FCIA and its industry members, will ensure even greater comfort for the families that stay there, many of whom have travelled large distances from regional NSW, to provide love and support for their sick children.
The project was conducted over 5 days from 10th February to 14th February 2020. A team of flooring apprentices enrolled with the FCIA’s partner Registered Training Organisation, Australian Industry Group Training Services (AIGTS), refurbished the flooring in hallways, training rooms and office areas over two levels of the building. FCIA will conduct a second project in June to refurbish the kitchen, dining and amenities areas of Ronald McDonald House Randwick.
In consultation with AIGTS, the FCIA and our industry alliance partners are coordinating this unique and worthwhile community project to provide our NSW apprentices, undertaking the Certificate III in Flooring Technology, with hands on experience in laying brand new carpet tiles, luxury vinyl planks and sheet vinyl at no cost to Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney.
The Chairman of the FCIA, Mr James Hayward, stated “This is a unique program bringing apprentices, Registered Training Organisations, industry, trainers, and the community together to provide genuine career opportunities for young people and contribute to a worthwhile charity.”
“The FCIA gratefully acknowledges the support of our Member manufacturers and suppliers such as Armstrong Flooring, Tarkett Australia, Forbo, Mapei and MJS Floorcoverings, who donated their time, expertise and materials to this wonderful project.
We also thank Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney for providing this unique opportunity, and AIGTS for providing professional training and assessment for our apprentices leading to the Certificate III in Flooring Technology. Without the support and contribution of all these stakeholders, the FCIA’s innovative, industry driven, apprenticeship program could not be achieved.” the Chairman said.
Heart of our Home Program
We love creating warm and welcoming spaces for our families to stay in here at RMHC Sydney and thanks to our partners who sponsor rooms through our ‘Heart of our Home Program’ this is all made possible.
Room sponsorship is one of the most impactful ways to make a real difference in the lives of seriously ill children and their families at RMHC Sydney. Last year, because of our generous room sponsorship partners we were able to support 746 in our House. The commitment to both our families and their ‘home away from home’ ensures that those who need it most, receive the very best support for however long they have to stay in Randwick. We have 30-bedrooms, four of which are Isolation Units as well as communal spaces such as a Family Living Room, kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, Interactive Zone and a Sanctuary Space.
Room sponsorship ensures that our families have a warm, welcoming place to form connections with other families who are experiencing the same journey as them, as well as a safe haven to lay their head at the end of a very long day filled with hospital visits and tiring treatments.
This month our gorgeous new sponsorship signs have been placed on bedroom doors, following the repaint of the rooms.
If you would like to know how you can get involved in room sponsorship, please contact Rachel at rachel.stoddart@rmhc.org.au
Rocco's Story
Back in October of 2019 Caterina received news that no mother wants to hear, her son Rocco had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. This diagnosis turned the Faau family’s life upside down; being forced to relocated from their home in Bowral to Sydney to seek special treatment for Rocco’s condition.
“Without RMHC Sydney the financial burden of seeking treatment in Sydney would be astronomical” Caterina says “With RMHC Sydney the burden of worry is taken off of us, we always know there is a bed for us to lay our heads down at night”
Rocco is finishing up with his chemotherapy treatments shortly and will be on his way home to play with all his friends again in Bowral. There will always be more kids like Rocco and his family who will need the support of RMHC Sydney. With your superhero support, we can ensure that families like the Faau’s will have a place to stay during these challenging times.
