The RMHC® SWFL Report Informative. Inspiring. Impactful.
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Friends of RMHC Jan + Ron Austin hosted a “luau themed” fundraiser at their home. |
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Happy Summer, everyone!
I am happy to report that we are close to once again operating at 100% capacity. Since the start of the pandemic our capacity has been limited by national Ronald McDonald House guidelines.
As many of you know, our 2020 expansion doubled our facility from six to twelve bedrooms. Due to the pandemic limitations, we were at one point operating at only 25% of that capacity. We are now at 75% capacity which means we can help many more families! In addition to the families staying with us at the House as their children heal, staff and volunteers work together to make sure their stays are warm and welcoming.
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Your support helps ensure that we have the resources necessary to effectively meet our mission to create, find and support programs that directly impact the health and well-being of children and their families in Southwest Florida. We look forward to having you join us in this effort.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday and summer,
Laura Ragain, Executive Director
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Ronald McDonald House Programs Play a Significant Role in Family-Centered Care
A strong majority of hospital administrators worldwide agreed that Ronald McDonald House programs play a significant and important role for families.
Over 90% agreed that Ronald McDonald House programs reduced stress and costs to families. (Lantz et al., Journal of Health Organization and Management, 2015). Research shows that the Ronald McDonald House program:
- Supports a family’s psychological well-being by keeping them close and providing emotional and physical comfort and support.
- Enhances the hospital experience for the child and the family.
- Helps alleviate the financial stress of accommodation and travel.
- Results in better sleep quality for parents, which gives them the rest they need to make critical decisions related to their child’s care.
- Helps families cope better and focus on the needs of their sick child when they have support from family members and other families.
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BY THE NUMBERS
Year-to-Date
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Ronald McDonald House
(12-bedrooms)
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Families Served: 38
Share-A-Nights: 131
Average Stay: 10 nights
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Ronald McDonald Care Mobile I (Collier) |
Oral Evaluations: 625
Sealants: 601
Fluoride: 578
Screenings: 24
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Ronald McDonald Care Mobile II (Lee + Hendry) |
Visits: 2,090
Screenings: 1,494
Varnish: 1,492
Sealants: 596
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Ronald McDonald Family Room (2nd floor at Golisano) |
Families Served: 441
Bagged Lunches: 342
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Ronald McDonald House Charities® Southwest Florida programs and events are supported by 1000+ volunteers who dedicate their time, talent, knowledge, and resources to ensure we can serve families and children who need our help.
Volunteers help in many ways:
- Support families and staff at the House
- Assist families in the Family Room at Golisano Children’s Hospital
- Help at our fundraising events
- Host "Wish List Drives" or other third-party fundraisers
- Participate in our Family Meal Program by cooking dinner for our families
- Prepare fresh baked goods in our kitchen for our families on the go
- Provide a compassionate ear to families who need a friend to talk to
- SO MUCH MORE!
Can you help us out with the following volunteer opportunities?
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FAMILY ROOM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! |
We are looking for individuals with a flexible schedule that can volunteer for a few four-hour shifts per month.
AVAILABLE SHIFTS
Weekdays: 8am-12pm, 12pm-4pm, 4pm-8pm
Weekends: 10am-2pm, 2pm-6pm
Please note: House volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Family Room volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and complete a Lee Health Volunteer Application provided by Volunteer Manager Illeny Farese, in order to volunteer at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
If you are interested, please fill out our volunteer application. Thank you!
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VOLUNTEER COOKS NEEDED!
Check out our new Family Meal Program video, showing you the process from start to finish!
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The Family Meal Program provides support to families who are taking care of their sick children, and often don’t have the time, funds, or energy to prepare a home-cooked meal. Can you help us cook dinner on the following dates?
AVAILABLE DATES FOR JULY
- Saturday 2nd - Sunday 3rd
- Sunday 10th
- Thursday 14th - Friday 15th
- Sunday 17th
- Tuesday 19th
- Wednesday 20th
- Friday 22nd
- Monday 25th - Thursday 28th
- Saturday 30th- Sunday 31st
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Remembering Beloved Volunteer, Bob Monastero
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With broken hearts, we share some sad news with you today. One of our long-time beloved supporters, Bob Monastero, sadly passed away. Bob and his wife Julia always cooked dinner for our families. We thank them for the memories and wonderful meals made with love. You will truly be missed, Bob! <3 |
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At Ronald McDonald House® Southwest Florida, our highest priority is the health and well-being of our guests, family members, caregivers, and staff members. That's why we truly value our partnership with Organize It SWFL!
For the past couple of months, Organize It SWFL has donated cleaning services to the Ronald McDonald House and we cannot thank them enough for their kindness, care, and dedication to ensuring the environment for our families is super clean and sanitized.
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FAMILY SPOTLIGHT: JULIA + MANUEL |
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The first SWFL Ronald McDonald House wedding was Thursday, May 26, 2022. Yes, you read that right! We celebrated the wedding of Manuel and Julia, a sweet couple who stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Myers, all the way from Germany!
The couple vacationed in Cape Coral for their babymoon sometime in April. Shortly after their arrival, Julia went into premature labor, and twins Marla and Matilda were born a couple of months early. This caused the couple to have a much longer stay than anticipated.
With their wedding date quickly approaching on May 7, the couple had to make the difficult decision to cancel. In a casual conversation with Volunteer Manager Illeny Farese, they expressed their sadness about not being able to get married. They joked about getting married in Florida and having RMHC plan it! Well, anyone who knows Illeny knows she will do anything in her power to make magic happen for a family! So, after a chat with staff, we decided we had to make this happen! Click here to read more about this story! Special thanks to RMHC board member Lee Bellamy and the team at Shangri-La Springs for making this a memorable day.
FAMILY UPDATE: Manuel, Julia, Matilda, and Marla arrived safely back in Germany! Each twin flew on their own jet with their medical team from Fort Myers to Canada, then Canada to Germany. The twins still have a couple more weeks in the hospital. Mom and dad cannot wait to get them home!
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"Marla and Matilda are still little rockstars. We miss you very much, but we try to settle in here. Maybe they can come home with us in one or two weeks..." -Manuel + Julia
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Marla's jet from Fort Myers, FL to Canada |
Matilda's jet from Fort Myers, FL to Canada |
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All upcoming fundraising events benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities® Southwest Florida |
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5th Annual Grampy's Pro-Am Golf Tournament
Friday, December 9, 2022
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27th Annual Storybook Ball
Saturday, February 18, 2023
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3rd Annual Grampy's Sporting Clay Tournament
Saturday, March 18, 2023
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For more information about event sponsorships, donating an auction item/package, or attending an event, please contact Amy Velez at 239-437-0202 or [email protected]. |
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FEATURED DOWNLOAD: PARTNER PACKET |
We provide a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida or other local medical facilities
If you are a social worker or medical personnel, you can fill out a referral for a family to stay at the Southwest Florida Ronald McDonald House by visiting rmhcswfl.org/request-to-stay.
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To all of you who donate so generously, rest assured that your contributions are used effectively and are very much appreciated by the families and children we serve.
Together, we can do big things.
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Subscribe to our Newsletter and stay informed about what’s going on at RMHC SWFL! Be the first one to hear about our events, fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, happenings at the House, and so much more! |
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Ronald McDonald House Charities® Southwest Florida | 239-437-0202
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