Friday, February 18, 2011

Sleepover!


Fifteen incredibly beautiful overnight rooms opened at the Ronald McDonald House inside Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis on February 7th, 2011. The opening of the bedrooms rounded out the 8,500 square foot House which opened November 1st, 2010. The House Inside the Hospital (HIH) also includes two living rooms, a stocked pantry, kitchen, exercise area, computer lab and an outdoor patio just steps away from the inpatient units. As the 5th House inside the hospital in the country, we are honored to provide a respite from the hospital environment, a sense of community, a good night's sleep, home-cooked meals and hot showers to our 400+ registered families who average 130 visits a day. Days at the HIH consist of families playing board games, cooking meals, relaxing in front of the fireplace, running on the treadmill and visiting with their loved ones. In a word, it’s just like “home.”

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Volunteers Close To Our Hearts!















Nothing beats our volunteers, but a recent Cooks for Kids Group was especially close to my heart. 'UWL + the boys' is a group of friends mostly comprised of alumni from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which is also my alma mater! Five of the group's members are also weekly Housewarmer volunteers and almost all of the group has donated their time at other important RMHC-UM events like Fam Glam, the Golf Classic and Parents' Night In. Their 'build your own sub' picnic theme was a hit with all of the familes, especially their 'sand & dirt' dessert cups. This group shows so much heart and dedication; we can't thank them enough for their efforts.