12 minute read
RMHC Ann Arbor 2021 Spring-Summer Newsletter
Kim Kelly, Executive Director
Where were you?
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I spoke to a group of supporters the other day and mentioned that the date March 13, 2020, is similar to other eventful, historical dates that are burned into our memory. Remember where you were when those life-changing events happened?
On March 13, 2020, I was sitting in my office and had already had a conversation with our leadership team to halt our volunteer program when I asked the staff to pack up their things and prepare to work from home for “two weeks”. Many of those staff have yet to return to our offices. It is a day I will remember forever.
As an organization, we immediately began looking at what we needed to do to be sure we were keeping our families safe. And like everyone else, we were learning and trying to digest what was happening and what our next steps should be. We pivoted, adjusted our plans multiple times in these unprecedented times, and began “zooming” more than I ever thought possible in a lifetime.
But we made it through. It was a challenging year, but staff worked hard and our Board of Directors buckled down and helped us each step of the way. I am incredibly proud of the fact that we haven’t had any Covid cases among the families in our House or our staff. Our safety protocols and procedures (and probably a little luck!) have seen us through the difficult times. Now, as we see the light at the end of the tunnel, we begin to look toward welcoming back some of our volunteers and staff members who have been working remotely.
We could not have made it without the support of the community. You stepped up to continue to support our families. When we couldn’t have volunteer Dinner Groups come in to prepare meals, you provided restaurant meals and funding for Meals Matter. You brought much needed Wish List items, individually packaged snacks, warm blankets, and activities to keep our families occupied when they couldn’t gather in groups. You helped us keep our families close to their sick child.
So, while the pandemic and the past year were a surprise, the support of our wonderful community was not. Thank you for all you do for RMHCAA and our families. We are honored to be a part of this community, and grateful for your support.
With gratitude,
Kim Kelly, Executive Director
Erin Riley and beautiful baby Ada at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
A Mott House Family Story
Even though a pandemic had recently shut everything down, Erin and Matt Riley were excited to learn they were expecting their second child. After an ultrasound at 20 weeks, the doctor diagnosed the little girl they were expecting with spina bifida.
The couple was referred to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital for fetal surgery to minimize damage to the spinal cord. The surgery was performed when Erin was 24 weeks pregnant and after a week, she went back home. However, complications forced her to return to the hospital where she was put on bed rest for 10 weeks until 34 weeks when a C-section was scheduled.
Weighing in at just 4 lbs. 3 oz. at birth, baby Ada had breathing and feeding issues and spent her first 25 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Erin, who was discharged 48 hours after the C-section, was able to stay at the Mott House just steps away from the NICU. Matt was thankful she could be close to their baby while he went home to Mt. Pleasant, two hours away, to take care of their two-year-old son Kagen.
After being on bed rest for 10 weeks and having the C-section, Erin was weak and had a difficult time getting around. She was grateful to be able to get some rest in her room at the Mott House. While Erin was learning to take care of baby Ada, she appreciated being so close to the NICU, and she was grateful for the coffee and snacks at the Mott House. “While breastfeeding, I would sometimes get ravenous. It was so nice to be able to get something quick to eat if I was hungry,” she said.
Erin felt safe in the Mott House during the pandemic and did not have any concerns about her safety and the COVID virus. But with no visitors allowed, she missed not seeing her son for three months. “I relied a lot on technology to video chat with him and visit with friends to stay connected,” said Erin.
After the stay in the NICU, they took little Ada home while still on oxygen and she continued growing stronger and more stable every day. Now six months old, Ada is full of smiles and loves to babble while looking at pictures in her books. She has even giggled a few times, something her family is looking forward to hearing more often.
Thanks fore! the support
High school freshman Ieuan Jones raised $8,000 to help support our families!
Ieuan Jones is a freshman with a big heart who attends Skyline High School. While home during the pandemic, Ieuan started reflecting on what he could do for others as a way to give back. As a member of the Skyline Golf Team and a competitor in Junior Golf tournaments across the country, he decided to start a fundraiser called “Breaking Par”.
Contacting friends and family, he challenged them to donate $1 for every birdie he made during his tour. His grand total of 133 birdies resulted in a donation of over $8,000 to support the families of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor.
RMHCAA is grateful to Ieuan for his support and generosity, and to his donors and parents for their support.
Community Response Helps Provide Meals
Some of the many dinners generously donated to our “Meals Matter” program by our amazing community of supporters to help feed our families.
The families at RMHCAA tell us over and over again how grateful they are to come back from a long day at the hospital to a warm, home-cooked meal. For years, the meals were prepared by our Dinner Group volunteers; groups of families, businesses, and friends, who gathered together to purchase the groceries and prepare the meals each evening.
Sadly, when the pandemic hit, RMHCAA had to discontinue our volunteer programs to protect the health of our families and their children. This was an unexpected strain on our budget, as well as a problem to figure out quickly how to feed our families without the support of volunteers.
Thanks to a wonderful community response, our “Meals Matter” program quickly took off. Some restaurants donated dinners, community members made monetary donations to support the program, and we have been able to continue providing warm meals in the evening.
Special thanks to all the wonderful individual donors who answered the call and made donations to fund the “Meals Matter” program, to the many individuals and organizations who sponsored having meals brought in from local restaurants and caterers, to the restaurants who donated meals, and to the RMHCAA staff who cooked and baked. Meals really do matter! It is an important way to care for our families and they appreciate it greatly!
You can help provide meals for our families by making a donation to our Meals Matter program here.
Tuning In at the Main House
Donated TV’s in every room.
It’s an idea that has been tossed around for years, but it took a global pandemic to make it happen. RMHCAA’s Main House now has a television in each guest room!
Traditionally, Ronald McDonald Houses did not have televisions in guest rooms. Part of the concept of the Houses is to encourage families to interact with each other, get to know one another, and support each other during the good and bad times.
Over the past few years, surveys of former families done by RMHCAA’s Family Centered Care Advisory Council have supported the idea of televisions in the guest rooms. Comments have included that watching television is a way for adults to relax and unwind and it often helps calm young children and siblings staying at the House.
The issue became a priority due to the COVID pandemic as families could no longer interact as they have normally been able to in the House. Safety measures have required that the living room, game room, and playroom have all been closed since the beginning of the pandemic restrictions. Families have had to spend more time in their rooms.
Thanks to some of RMHCAA’s wonderful donors, televisions in the room became a reality. The project was jump-started with a donation from The Spartan Capital Family Support Fund, and supported by former RMHCAA board member Dr. Dennis Crowley, current board member AC Ganger and Laura Ganger, and an additional anonymous donation.
Families have been enjoying the televisions in their rooms. As an added feature, families can access their own streaming accounts through the televisions, so the House really does feel like a “home away from home”.
A Virtual Celebration of our Volunteers
As with everything during the pandemic, RMHCAA’s annual volunteer recognition event in celebration of National Volunteer Month looked a bit different than in previous years. The event was held over Zoom on April 20th and was “attended” by more than a dozen volunteers who were joined by some House Managers and other RMHCAA staff members.
The celebration honored community resident volunteers from 2020 and 2021 as no event was held last year. RMHCAA’s Executive Director, Kim Kelly, gave an overview of the past year highlighting some of the organization’s challenges and successes, and future plans. Operations Manager, Marcia Monson, gave an operational overview, showing a video of both Houses featuring some of the changes and new protocols.
Volunteers Jan Shatusky and Lucinda Fleckenstein were honored for 36 and 35 years of service respectively. Other volunteers were specially recognized for their many years of service including:
• Ellen-Mary Nora, 16 years
• Jenny Carpenter, 15 years
• Marilyn McDermott, 10 years
• Betty Tecco, 10 years
• Kathie Wolney, 10 years
• Carole Banfield, 6 years
• Stephanie Carrier, 6 years
• Tonja Kengerski, 5 years
• Karin Monnett, 5 years
• Kristie Namel, 5 years
• Diane Sheffrey, 5 years
A video of staff members sharing messages of appreciation and thanks to volunteers was played and reflected how much the staff misses having the volunteers in the Houses. Stacey Laho, RMHCAA’s Family Services Coordinator, said, “The volunteer recognition event really underscored how valuable the volunteers are to our mission and families and how much we’ve all missed in the last year.”
Thank you to all of our volunteers for your commitment and dedication. We look forward to being in person next year and celebrating volunteers all together!
A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors
2021 Red Shoe Affair - Footloose and Feel'n Free!
Special thanks to the following sponsors* who have committed to supporting our 2021 Red Shoe Affair event.
PRESENTING SPONSORS
McDonald’s Michigan Operators Business Association
CARING HEARTS SPONSORS
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
Karen Glorio Luther
Debbie & Mike Tirico
HOUSE SPONSORS
Team Adalyn & Maelyn
Charles J. & Kathleen Baum Family Fund
Dr. Michelle & Andrew Caird
Dr. Dennis Crowley and Anita Clos
Dr. Laura & AC Ganger
Lane Good & Family
Jackie & Philip Lapinski
Liberty Title
Stacey and Mike Marsh
Linda & Randy Meadows
Jessie Newman & Dan Papajcik
Karen & Jeff Rothstein
Tribble Painting Company V
an Hooser Family
Kate & Mark Van Sumeren
FAMILY SPONSORS
Bank of Ann Arbor
Big Blue
Dr. Edward & Linda Bove
Betsy & Patrick Cavanaugh
Dr. John & Kathy Charpie
Columbia Asset Management
Matt Dejanovich
Dykema
Monica Hough & Jeff Forward
Kapnick Insurance Group
Karen & David Kowal
Chad Nyitray
Dr. Rick & Bonnie Ohye
Dr. Pepper
Taylor Freezer of Michigan
Tyson Foods
Monique Vann Brown
Tracey Roy & Mike Williams
Terry & JZ Zdanowski
FRIEND SPONSORS
Patty & Rob Aldrich
Anderson Paint Company
Ann Arbor Plastic Surgery
The Bonner Advisory Group
Dr. Creg and Sheila Carpenter
Loree and Richard Collett
The Coca-Cola Company
Angela and Alan Harris
DreamMakers Bath & Kitchen
Rosie & Al Fellhauer
Katie & Dugan Fife
Enspire Dental
Kristin & John Evangelista
Dr. Elissa Gaies
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Mayuri Guntupalli
Jan & John Hamilton
J Keller Properties, LLC
Mary and Glenn Johnson
Geraldine Kilsdonk
Main Street Homes
Old National Bancorp
Dr. Chris & Mary Newton
Pollock Investment Advisors
SVN Stewart Commercial Group
University of Michigan Credit Union
SUPPORT SPONSORS
Comcast
Lisa Dempsey
Amanda & Aaron Gramling
Hantz Financial
Becky & Eric Maley
Martin Browerv
Susie & Todd McDevitt
The Write Touch by Leyla
Heath Waddington & Leyla Conlan
ADVERTISING SPONSORS
Absolute Title, Inc.
Bunek Dental Studio
C.F. Burger Creamery
Domino's Pizza
J.D. Wisner Electrical
Individual ticket sales will be available this summer after we review updated CDC and state guidelines for gathering safely.
*Sponsors as of May 28, 2021
For more information about our 9 th Annual Red Shoe Affair event, please contact Mary Moffett at mmoffett@rmhcannarbor.org or call (734) 417-4517.
Ways you can help keep our families close to their seriously ill children
Share Some Hope - Host a Fundraising Event
Hosting your own fundraiser allows you the opportunity to share a message of hope about Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor while raising support for the families we serve. Anyone can host a fundraiser: an individual, family, group of friends, school, company, or community group!
Every dollar raised goes towards helping to provide our families with a warm meal, a comfortable bed, a hot shower, and a sense of hope. There are a number of ways to host a community fundraiser, both virtually and in-person.
Here are just few in-person ideas:
• A run or walk
• Jeans day
• Car wash
• Golf outing
• A cooking/baking competition
• Dance marathon
• Bike-a-thon
Virtual fundraising ideas include:
• Zoom house parties
• Virtual run or walk
• Zoom bingo or trivia contest
Interested in hosting a community fundraiser? Our staff is able to work with you and provide support to make sure your event is a success. For more information or help getting started, contact Development and Communications Manager, Mary Moffett at mmoffett@rmhcannarbor.org.
Host a Facebook Fundraiser
Anyone with a Facebook page can host a fundraiser. It’s easy and takes minutes to set up. 1) Click on “fundraiser” in the left menu of your News Feed 2) Click on “raise money” 3) Select non-profit or charity 4) Select Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor (we are Facebook approved) 5) Complete the rest of the required information and click “create” and then share with your family and friends! Funds will automatically be sent to RMHCAA by Facebook, so no need to handle any money.
You Change Lives
Your gifts, no matter the size, change lives every day.
DONATE NOW at RMHCAnnArbor.org/donate
If you have questions about making a gift, please contact jleduc@rmhcannarbor.org.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor 1600 Washington Heights Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Ronald McDonald House within C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital 1540 East Hospital Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48109
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Ann Arbor is to provide a “home away from home” for families of children experiencing a serious illness or injury requiring hospitalization.
Phone: 734-994-4442 Fax: 734-994-4919 RMHCAnnArbor.org
#keepingfamiliesclose
