Keeping Families Close
®
News FALL/WINTER 2023
WITH GRATITUDE FROM THE ZOLL FAMILY Parker was born into our family on February 27, 2023. His delivery was routine and we were discharged. But at home the next day, Parker began to show signs of being ill. With both of us being medical technicians at Michigan Medicine along with mother’s intuition, we knew we had to take him back to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital right away. After a snowy hour-long drive, we arrived at the ER. Within 22 minutes, Parker was being wheeled into emergency surgery to repair a bowel obstruction caused by an intestinal malrotation that he was born with unknowingly. Parker’s surgery to repair his bowel and remove his appendix was successful, however, he had to stay at Mott Hospital for two weeks to recover. We spent the first three days of his recovery at his bedside. With the guidance of our social worker, we were placed on the waitlist for a room at the Ronald McDonald House across the street. The same House that Robert stayed in as a young boy when his sister was hospitalized. While on the waitlist, we stayed at a hotel about 15 minutes from the hospital. We took shifts to be near Parker. Our 3-year-old, Paisley, stayed with her grandma during this time as the hotel and hospital were not conducive to a three-year-old running around and playing. Within a week, we got a room in the House. The first thing we did after we checked in was cook ourselves dinner. It was such a treat to go into the stocked kitchen and cook one of our comfort foods – spaghetti – after eating out for every meal the week before. We also appreciated the prepared home-cooked meals that we could grab in the evenings after a long day at the hospital. Paisley was able to join us at the House. It was so nice to be together as a family where she felt comfortable to play and sleep. She loved to play in the playroom and getting a new toy from the toy closet was the highlight of her stay. Today, Parker is doing great, and we are all thriving at home. As we reflect on that uncertain time for our family, we are grateful for the sense of comfort RMHCAA gave us when Letter from our CEO 2 everything was up in the air. Board of Directors 2 RMHCAA is not just a place to stay, but a provider of meals, a Our Mission 3 community of support, and has a coffee station that is a “lifeBattle for the Houses 3 changer”. Paisley also got a blanket from the RMHCAA Hospitality Volunteering 4, 5 Cart on that first night we spent in the NICU with her brother that Ways to Give 6 is still her favorite blanket. RMHCAA will always be more than a Third Party Events 7 House to our family. Red Shoe Affair 8 With Gratitude - The Zoll Family - Kayla, Robert, Paisley, and Parker
IN THIS ISSUE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Mayuri Guntupalli Vice President: Strategy John Charpie, MD Vice President: Community Sheri Belcher Treasurer Gautam Muthusamy Secretary Kara Slater Past President JZ Zdanowski Directors Rob Aldrich Steve Furr Aaron Gramling John Hamilton Krista Lenart Andrew Loy Kathy Matney Mark Pfau Jennifer Schaible Luanne Thomas Ewald Debbie Tirico Mark Van Sumeren Monique Vann-Brown Russ West Loree Collett, Emeritus Rosie Fellhauer, Emeritus
A LETTER FROM OUR CEO FORWARD MOMENTUM
Kim Kelly, CEO
Working at RMHCAA, I am surrounded by energy and enthusiasm that can only be described as FORWARD MOMENTUM. Our staff and Board of Directors are growing and strengthening as we move the right people into the right roles and offer continuous education, training, and support. This FORWARD MOMENTUM in our people is necessary as we continue to live out our mission daily but also move towards our overall vision for RMHCAA in the near future. FORWARD MOMENTUM is evident in many areas of our organization including exploring the expansion of our House programs and services as well as looking for future opportunities with our health partners, Michigan Medicine and Trinity Health Ann Arbor. This is a necessary step as our wait list for families to get a room at one of our Houses continues to be long.
RMHCAA VISION: To have the capacity and funding available to provide universally accessible, compassionate programs and services to EVERY family that needs it when their children receive medical care.
We’ve been growing our family programming at our Main House this year with fun activities for the families like cookie decorating, BINGO, a visit from a therapy dog, and ice cream sundaes. Families have expressed that this short diversion from their daily challenges is healing and provides a small sense of home, especially for the siblings staying with us.
We are heading full steam ahead into the busy holiday season. We will again host our holiday shop, offer engaging holiday-themed family activities, and look to our community during this season of giving. Our growing momentum needs YOU to continue moving forward whether it be donating to our yearend campaign or volunteering with events, cooking meals for families, sewing blankets, and more! It is truly the community that makes RMHCAA more than just a house for the families that rely on us every day. Happy Holidays!
Kim Kelly - CEO, RMHCAA
WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS! Luanne Thomas Ewald - Chief Operating Officer of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Steven Furr - Retired Johnson Controls, Vice President of Global Product Safety Kathy Matney - Retired Pediatric Nurse, Michigan Medicine Jennifer Schaible - Director of Nursing, Children’s and Women’s Service’s, Trinity Health Ann Arbor -2-
LIVING OUT OUR MISSION RMHC Ann Arbor provides a community of inclusive, compassionate, supportive programs and services that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families.
BATTLE FOR THE HOUSES Inspired by the Duckett family, who stayed at RMHC Ann Arbor while their son was hospitalized, Battle for the Houses is a friendly competition to build awareness and raise funds for RMHC Ann Arbor (GO BLUE!) and RMHC Mid-Michigan. Collectively, we raised $100,000 and clocked 1,066 volunteer hours between our Chapters! We had a lot of fun with the Mid-Michigan chapter and our Battle Champions, Mike Martin & Todd Duckett supporting this friendly, mission-focused competition. Many thanks to our supporters and sponsors who helped raise $45,648 for RMHC Ann Arbor. We are overwhelmed by our community’s response to our call to “Rise Up” for RMHCAA! RMHC families are the real winners of this rivalry match-up! Thank you to our sponsors: Meijer, Tyson Foods, Domino’s, Fuel’d, and DIRECTV.
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$100,000 was raised in our first year! See you at the Big House in 2024!
WAYS TO VOLUNTEER
ENGAGE WITH RMHCAA
Yard work at House
Cooking Up Comfort
House Volunteer
Write Letters
Baking Buddies
Collect Pop Tabs
Make Blankets
Light Housework
To volunteer, contact Mary Moffett at mmoffett@rmhcannarbor.org or visit our website
MEET OUR VOLUNTEER, SAM “All volunteer work is valuable, no matter the size or the task.” - Sam Ankenbauer, RMHCAA volunteer since 2018 Why did you pick RMHCAA to volunteer at? While here at the University of Michigan, I kept seeing the House on my walks to the Arb and it just looked like such a warm, welcoming home, that I was drawn to it. I’m in my 5th year as a volunteer now! What are you studying? I am working towards my PhD at the School of Information studying Human Computer Interaction. My current research project involves aging and accessibility to technology. What types of volunteer activities do you do at the House? I volunteer once every two weeks at the House. I work on whatever projects that are needed. I enjoy organizing and making things aesthetically pleasing. One of my recent tasks was organizing the Toy Closet. I tried to think about the children that use that closet and how they see the world and organized it with them in mind. What is rewarding to you about volunteering? I like the idea that I am a small cog in a big machine helping to keep everything running as it should. I know that even a small task like filling the snack bowl in the kitchen brings comfort to the RMHCAA families. -4-
Sam Ankenbauer volunteering at RMHCAA
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT CATCHING UP WITH KATIE ANDREA
In 1985, Katie Andrea, a Special Education teacher, was looking for a volunteer opportunity. Through the Junior League of Ann Arbor, Katie got connected to a brand-new non-profit in the area – Ronald McDonald House. Katie was part of the first volunteer shift on the first day we opened 38 years ago! Interestingly enough, the first shift’s job was to make beds at the House – which is what Katie recently volunteered to do at our House this summer when we got all new Tempur-Pedic mattresses donated! In those early days of the House, Katie answered phones, checked in families, cleaned – she did whatever was needed to keep the House running. After some time, Katie became the live-in House Manager while she went to school for her Masters degree. At the time, she was the only paid employee working alongside over 100 volunteers.
Katie volunteering at the House this summer
Katie remembers being on-call at all hours in case the hospital needed to reach one of our families. Back in the 80s, there were no cell phones or email - just the House phone! Katie recalls the fulfilling time she worked at the House with her favorite memories tied to interacting daily with the families. She remembers families being so grateful for a place to lay their heads at night. Katie will always have a special spot in her heart for RMHCAA – she even met her husband, Dave, who was also volunteering here. They have one daughter, Lizzie, and live in Ann Arbor. Katie and Dave continue to find ways to support RMHCAA including volunteering and attending our annual Red Shoe Affair. They say the favorite thing about attending our signature event is seeing people they’ve known for a long time, but also seeing new faces. Katie and Dave Andrea Red Shoe Affair 2023
THANK YOU TO OUR RMHC GLOBAL DONORS: Tempur-pedic for providing all new mattresses in our Main House La-Z-Boy for our Mott House renovation: Since opening the Mott House in 2011, this well-loved House was in need of a refresh. La-Z-Boy, a RMHC Global donor that provides furniture to all Ronald McDonald Houses in the world, stepped up to donate new furniture in the Mott House living room, as well as sleep chairs for all 12 Mott House bedrooms. We are extremely grateful to La-Z-Boy for their generous support of providing comforting and home-like goods for our Houses.
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SHOW COMFORT, CARE, AND KINDNESS
GIVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TO RMHCAA FAMILIES STOCK OUR PANTRY
Families staying with us spend all of their time caring for their child. They do not have time to grocery shop or go through a drive-thru for a coffee. That is why our pantry and coffee bar are crucial to providing comfort for our guests. Help us keep our pantry full so families have what they need while here. View our Wish List
COOK DINNER FOR OUR FAMILIES Meals Matter to our families. Guests that stay at our House say that dinner gives them comfort after a long day spent at their child’s bedside in the hospital. Cooking dinner is a small way to give back to others while making a BIG impact on their stay here. Cook Dinner Link
SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER BY DONATING TOYS Our Toy Closet is a huge hit for the siblings staying here at the Main House. We are taking donations for the Toy Closet and also for our Holiday Shop this season. You can donate, new, child-safe toys so families can “shop” and get gifts (free of charge) for their family members. Donated items must be new and unwrapped. Toys can be dropped off at the Main House. The deadline for Holiday Shop donations is December 8.
DONATE TODAY, SO FAMILIES CAN STAY CLOSE WHEN IT MATTERS MOST.
WAYS TO DONATE: 1. Donate on our Website 2. Become a Monthly Donor 3. Give from a Donor Advised Fund 4. Give from your IRA 5. Create a Giving Legacy 6. Donate a Used Car 7. Employee Matching -6-
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THIRD PARTY EVENTS
Greenwood Acres Family Campground This year, RMHC Ann Arbor was the recipient of funds raised by campers at Greenwood Acres Family Campground located in Jackson, MI. Privately owned by the Wolfinger family since 1972, the campground sits on 300 acres and has 1,100 camp sites, of which 900 are seasonal campers. Each year, the campground selects a charity to be the beneficiary of the funds raised by various events held at the campground over the summer. RMHC Ann Arbor was selected as the charity for 2023. John Gibbs and Frank Bommarito, seasonal campers for over 27 years, coordinated the fundraising efforts. Funds for the charity are raised through a number of events and activities for the campers that are organized by 30 different volunteer campers. This year’s events included a car show, dances, a craft fair, Christmas in July, and a Hawaiian luau. The summer activities culminated in a Labor Day party where the total of the summer fundraising was announced. This year’s grand total, benefiting RMHC Ann Arbor, was $47,527! We are grateful for all of the time and energy the Greenwood Acres Family Campground volunteers gave to ensure fun events for the campers while simultaneously providing support for our families.
The Brown Birthday BASH! Tammie Brown wanted to throw her husband, Tom, a 60th birthday party. As a couple, they decided on a celebration honoring their late granddaughter, Nyla, and encourage guests to donate to RMHCAA in Nyla’s memory. Nyla was born with a hole in her heart and then diagnosed with a rare disease known as Takenouchi Kosaki syndrome. Nyla’s parents spent most of her short, 6-month life at RMHCAA which kept them close to Nyla while she was being treated next door at C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Sadly, Nyla passed away last December. The Brown Birthday BASH morphed into an event open to the community of Caledonia where they live, and featured two bands, food trucks, and a silent auction. Tammie recruited 30 local businesses who sponsored the event, or donated an item for the silent auction, including her employer, The DeVries Agency. The event was a huge success attended by more than 125 people and raised $9,655! Nyla’s parents, Ryan and Isabel Brown, attended and were able to celebrate and honor Nyla as well as all of the people who supported them during their journey. Tom, who never let Tammie throw him a birthday party in 39 years of marriage, enjoyed his party and had fun playing in his band, The Reason, as it was all for a good cause.
To learn how you can host your own event to benefit the families at RMHC Ann Arbor, visit www.rmhcannarbor.org/how-to-help/host-a-fundraiser/ -7-
&
FORKS CORKS Ann Arbor
taste. sip. su ort. Thank You to our generous paddle-raisers at Forks & Corks.
RMHC ANN ARBOR MISSION RMHC Ann Arbor provides a community of inclusive, compassionate, supportive programs and services that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. CONTACT US 1600 Washington Heights Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-994-4442 | rmhcannarbor.org
The Boltons were our Grateful Family featured at our recent Forks & Corks event.
Get Ready to Boogie
Red Shoe Affair
Saturday, April 27, 2024 Jack Roth Stadium Club - Ann Arbor Get Groovy at rmhcannarbor.org/redshoeaffair