November 2018 - In This Issue
Thank You From our House to Yours

handwritten thank you note from family

"Thank you for what you've done for the Ronald McDonald House. With your support families like mine have a "home-away-from-home" to stay while their child is in the hospital. This stay allowed my 16-year-old to get the rest she needed in the hospital and us to get the rest we needed." - The Phillips Family, Heather & Wade

As we pause and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for, please know that you are at the very top of our list. It is because of your continued time, service and support that we are able to roll the welcome mat out and provide a "home-away-from-home" for families like the Phillips 365 days a year.

Thank you for all that you do. We wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!


Kick-off the holiday season with RMHCCIN. Join us on Tuesday, November 27 at the House on Limestone as we celebrate the spirit of togetherness and spread holiday cheer at our Home for the Holidays Open House!

Highlights include:
  • Cookies & cocoa
  • Visit with Santa
  • Hors d'oeuvres provided by Chartwells of Warren Township 
  • Holiday entertainment
  • Ceremonial lighting of the House
  • Vote in our Deck the House Christmas Tree Contest
Home for the Holidays is a free, family-friendly event and is open to the community. We encourage you to bring a friend or loved one and join us for some holiday fun. We hope to see you there!


We have a number of additions to the House that we would like to welcome!     

Lou Carroll
Guest Services Volunteer (Riley)
Grace Ochoa
Guest Services Volunteer (Limestone)

Jessica Crane 
House Warmer
Myranda Ross
Lunch Host
Emily Freeman
Guest Services Volunteer (Riley)
Emily Stanczak
Guest Services Volunteer (Riley)
Juanita Gardener
Guest Services Volunteer (Limestone)
Uwase Umutoni
Guest Services Volunteer (Limestone)
Mike Lutz
Guest Services Volunteer (Limestone)
Phyllis Welch
Lunch Host
Madisyn Nuest
Lunch Host



Bryce Nelson Annual Benefit Concert


Join us on Saturday, December 8  from 6 - 7 p.m. for the  Evening with Bryce  benefit concert featuring our very own contemporary recording artist, Bryce Nelson! Held at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, the hour-long concert is free and open to the public. At the end of the concert, a free-will offering will be taken to benefit the families and children at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana. 

Saturday, December 8 // 6 - 7 p.m.
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
2015 S. Arlington Ave, Indianapolis, IN

Going Home for the Holidays? 

At RMHCCIN, we keep the welcome mat out for our families 365 days a year -- which means we are open and staffed even during the holidays. As school breaks, holiday vacations and family visits arise, we understand that some flexibility may be needed in your typical schedule. If you need to miss your shift, please notify Mary Friend as soon as possible so she can take you off the schedule.  

Alternatively, if you find you are available to help cover an extra shift over the holidays, please let Mary know. By communicating your attendance, we can better staff both locations and serve our families. Thank you for understanding!
C3 Coffee Cart: Needs and Volunteers!

Did you know that our C3 Coffee Cart hosts provide over 400 cups of coffee and hot chocolate a month to families on the patient floors at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health? For this reason, we are always looking for donations of packets of hot chocolate (without marshmallows) and individual, non-flavored, liquid creamer cups. Please consider purchasing a box or two of these items to donate to our cart on your next shopping trip. The C3 Coffee Cart serves as a great conversation starter for families who may not be aware of RMHCCIN's services and provides a little extra comfort to many families during the long days at the hospital.

Looking to get more involved? We are looking to grow our team of coffee cart hosts on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 - 11:30 a.m. You can choose to serve weekly, bi-weekly or on an occasional basis. Please note that because you will be serving coffee to families on the patient floors, you will need to complete the Riley Hospital for Children volunteer training and on-boarding process.


 
To learn more about supporting or joining our coffee cart team, please contact Mary Friend at mfriend@rmhccin.org. 

Operational Updates

Donations

The holidays are upon us which means we anticipate a high number of in-kind and wish list donations over the coming weeks. Please keep in mind that, for the health and safety of your families, we can only accept new items in their original packaging. This includes dolls, stuffed animals, action figures, etc. Please refer to the donation list in the "Need to Know" binder for the list of items we can and cannot accept. Should you have any questions or receive a donation of used items, please see the Manager on Duty.

Milk

Please note that the milk is now labeled with both the  purchase date and the expiration date. Please keep this in mind when cleaning our the refrigerators. This will allow us to better track our usage and best manage our expenses. 


New Welcome Bags

We have a new batch of welcome bags from our friends at Thirty-One gifts. The new bags are zippered and come in a grey and white print. We will continue using the charcoal colored drawstring bags for take home bags. 

New Check-Out Checklist at Limestone

When a family notifies us that they will be checking out, please give them one of the new check-out checklists located on the front desks at Limestone. This new form outlines the necessary steps to check-out and is turned in when they leave. 

Wish List Items Needed

Please help us stock our pantries! We had a slow summer in-kind donation season and are in need of several items such as paper towels, liquid laundry detergent, disinfectant wipes, canned fruit, snack crackers, pudding cups, granola bars, cereal, canned tuna & chicken, canned spaghetti or ravioli, cookies and chips.  A full list of items we need can be found on the Ronald McDonald House website or our  Amazon Wish List.

Dish towels

Our supply of dish towels is running low so if you have any extras you would like to donate to the House, we will take them! 

Volunteers Needed  
  • Elves Needed.  We are looking for volunteers to assist our families as they select gifts in Santa's Workshop from Thursday, December 13 through Sunday, December 23, 2018. Shifts run between 4 - 6 p.m. and 6 - 8 p.m. on weekdays and 2 - 4 p.m. and 4 - 6 p.m. on weekends. If you would like to help, please contact Mary Friend at mfriend@rmhccin.org or Marci Corbin at mcorbin@rmhccin.org for available shifts.  
  • Calling all gamers! We need help coordinating our gaming systems which include PS2, PS3, PS4, Wii, Xbox and Nintendo. This includes evaluating the games and systems that have been donated to the House, installing the gaming systems, making sure they are properly secured and helping keep everything organized. We are looking for someone to help on a reoccurring basis.
  • Come in a little earlier for your shift at Limestone or stay a little later to help with the following tasks. A little extra time can make a huge impact in helping the House run smoothly. 
     
    1. Food Team: Monitor expiration dates on food in community pantries, stock snacks and assist with shelving & inventorying food in the basement.
       
    2. Stocking Team: Restock the guests' toiletry closet, GSA apartment and North Wing 2nd floor linen closet.
       
    3. Paper Team: Inventory the paper products (plates, forks, etc.) in the basement, organize shelves and restock community pantries with items when low.

      Contact Patti Cooper at pcooper@rmhccin.org or at (317) 267-0605, ext. 205 for more details. 
  • We need additional volunteers at our Riley location, particularly during the lunch rush (12 - 3 p.m.). Duties include assisting with the check-in process, setting up lunch and light clean up. Meals are already prepared, no cooking necessary. 
For more information about these opportunities or if you know someone who would like to join us, contact Mary Friend at mfriend@rmhccin.org or (317) 267-0605, ext. 225.
Serve and Support the House with the Super Service Challenge

Did you know that you can help raise funds and awareness for the House while volunteering? Help keep families together by taking the Super Service Challenge! Simply shoot a short video (2 minutes or less) on your phone or tablet and share why you serve at the House and what our mission means to you! Then, upload your video to the Super Service Challenge website and encourage friends, family and followers to vote for your video. More votes mean more funds for RMHCCIN families! It's that easy!   Visit the Super Service Challenge website for more information on how to participate.
Yoga Anyone?
  
Houseguests, volunteers and staff are welcome to join our complimentary yoga classes on the first Monday of each month from 7-8 p.m. The next class will be held on MondayDecember 3, so please join us! Thank you Kelly Alford from The Yoga Studio for your generous donation. 
Look Who Was Caught Rolling Out The Red Carpet
 
Julie Sansone and David Lawson, Guest Services Assistants, caught Guest Services Volunteers, Rayna Kinley and Cristina Pretorius, demonstrating teamwork, friendliness, compassion, communication and teamwork.

Julia wrote: "Rayna repeatedly goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to accomplishing tedious and not so pleasant tasks. Recently when we found an abandoned room, Rayna was very willing to help me clean it. Her actions exhibit unwavering commitment to quality and excellence in all we do. She simply threw on a pair of gloves and did a wonderful job of helping prepare the room for the next family."

David wrote: "While recently volunteering at the RMH at Riley, Cristina came across a Spanish speaking family who knew little English. She noticed them walking around with wonder and confusion in their eyes. Cristina was able to greet them and answer their questions in their native language. What a wonderful way to welcome and provide hospitality to this family!"

Thank you, Rayna and Cristina. We appreciate your dedication to teamwork!

Congratulations! Your Crew Carwash pass is in the mail.

Remember, if you catch a volunteer rolling out the red carpet and providing an excellent family experience, please submit a nomination using the form below. Printed copies of this form are also available in the front office at both Limestone and Riley. Each month, all nominations are eligible for a random drawing for a Crew Carwash pass.

Please click the following link for the nomination form: Red Carpet Nomination Form
Updated Volunteer Schedule
 
Please click the following link for the updated volunteer schedule:  November 2018 Guest Services Schedule.
MISSION MOMENT

Thank you so much for everything!! We really felt at home here. My daughter had to have a brain tumor removed so this was a very stressful time for our family. We live three hours away and because of this, I have not been able to work during this process. You have eliminated the stress of not having money. You have provided my family a room that feels like home. The Ronald McDonald House has truly been a blessing for my family. Thanks again for everything!!

Please join us in celebrating the following birthdays:

11/1
11/3
11/3

11/4
11/5
11/5

11/6
11/7  
11/7
Brett Edstene
Emily Duhn
Michelle
    Study-Campbell
Eddy Lux
Caroline Boyle
Amanda 
    Olaves-Mullican
Brett Hopf
Dave Hatton
Larry Reymann
11/8
11/9
11/10
11/11
11/12
11/12
11/13
11/13
11/14
11/14
Ally Farrell
April Smith
Becky Sparks
Tom Shipp
Heidi Connors
Amy De St. Jean
Mercedes Roots
Navraj Sahi
Gwen England
Tami Lucas
11/14
11/20
11/20
11/21
11/22
11/23
11/24
11/25
11/30
11/30
Leah Shubert
Lee Ann Devine
Chris Lake
Deigh Regnier
Luán Brits
David Ayres
Tessa Madigan
Steff Mabe
Troy Hogan
Candice Hoos

Upcoming Events

Visit our website or watch for details in future editions of this newsletter for these events.
 

Tuesday, November 27
Santa's Workshop
Thursday, December 13 - Sunday, December 23
An Evening with Bryce Nelson
Saturday, December 8


Substitute List

Please contact these people if you need a substitute. 

Limestone  
Lori Ball

lballgriz@gmail.com
 

317-371-9150
Not available Tues or Wed
Katy Brawley
317-258-9451

Jennifer Cannady
jcannady17@gmail.com

Weekends only
Gwen England

Weekday evenings (except Tues) and weekends
Craig Ito

Weekdays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Rega Kowalski
rkowalski34@comcast.net
317-241-1566

Steff Mabe
steffmabe@yahoo.com
317-374-2529
Not available Tues Mornings

Riley
Anita Butts
buttsanita@yahoo.com

Evenings
Laurie Eagan
l_eagan@sbcglobal.net

317-691-3757
Weekdays 12-3 p.m.
Michael Rhinaman

317-258-4688
Weekday evenings

If you would like to add your name to this list, please contact Mary Friend at mfriend@rmhccin.org or at (317) 267-0605, ext. 225.

Please remember to notify the Manager on Duty for last minute shift cancellations. If you know your conflict in advance, notify Mary Friend. Also, let us know if you are able to find a substitute so we can update the schedule. Be sure to notify Mary or the Manager on Duty directly rather than through your shift mates.

Thank you!

Our Mission
We provide a supportive "home-away-from-home" for families of children receiving medical care at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and other area hospitals, and we champion programs that improve the health, education and well-being of children.

Our Vision
Nurturing a community where children and their families embrace life and healing with a sense of hope, enthusiasm, courage and joy.
 
Our Values: 
I CARE
  • Innovation: We aim for continuous improvement to provide the highest level of comfort and care for our families.
  • Compassion: We seek to listen, understand and serve.
  • Accountability: We strive for the highest level of integrity and transparency with all of our partners and stakeholders.
  • Respect: We treat all people with dignity, compassion and respect.
  • Excellence: We embrace our mission and passionately commit to creating the best home-away-from-home for our families.
Newsletter Editor
Mary Friend, CVA
Volunteer Resources Manager
Direct Line: (317) 267-0605, ext. 225