The East House welcomed a new friendly face last week, as Copper the Therapy Dog made his first visit to the house. With his gentle personality and calm expression, Copper quickly made friends at the house. Everyone is now looking forward to his weekly visits.
During the temporary West House closure for remodeling, Double Tree Lloyd Center is helping families by providing a free shuttle between the Ronald McDonald House East and OHSU. The shuttle makes two round trips everyday back and forth, and will continue until the West House re-opens on November 20.
The shuttle waiting to leave the East House for OHSU
Remodeling work on the Ronald McDonald House West at OHSU began bright and early on Tuesday morning. You can stay updated on the project on our blog, where we’ll post the latest images from our Flickr gallery of the ongoing work at the house.
Guest rooms are being updated with new bath work and improved closets, while extensive work is also taking place on the kitchen, and carpet is being installed on the main floor. To make sure that we protect the safe and peaceful environment for our guests, the house has temporarily closed for two weeks between November 9-20, while the work takes place. Full information about the temporary closure for families, volunteers, and referrals can be found on our website.
All of us at RMHC would like to thank OHSU, who have been an incredible partner, and made these renovations possible. We also want to thank all of the volunteers who are helping us get the house ready to reopen for families on November 20!
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Celebrate McHappy Day with McDonald’s and help support Ronald McDonald House Charities during the month of November. Starting November 10 , you can visit your local McDonald’s to purchase a colorful paper hand for one dollar. Proceeds from the sale of paper hands benefit RMHC.
The promotion culminates on November 20 with McHappy Day, when McDonald’s restaurants will donate an additional $1 from the sale of select menu items to Ronald McDonald House. Last year, McDonald’s restaurants in Oregon and Southwest Washington raised $77,763 for RMHC during the McHappy Day fundraiser. Help us help families in need by visiting your local McDonald’s soon!
On Friday, nine year old Amy and her family visited the Ronald McDonald House East with a very special delivery: 18 teddy bears in all shapes, colors, and sizes, each one made by Amy and her sister earlier that day at Build a Bear Workshop.
For her birthday this year, Amy requested donations and gift cards from family and friends instead of presents. She raised more than $250, and used the money to launch her teddy bear project, Amy’s Bears for Caring and Sharing. Each bear came with its own name and its own personality, from Twinkles the Princess to a rock star named Dylan. Inside every bear, Amy placed a round heart to show her affection for the families at the Ronald McDonald House.
Every family that stays with us finds a new teddy bear waiting on their bed when they first check in. With 1,550 family visits last year, and two beds per room, that means that Ronald McDonald House gives out more than 3,000 stuffed animals to families and their sick children every year. Anyone can donate stuffed animals to the house, just like Amy.
If you’d like to support Amy’s project, you can make contributions to an account with US Bank called Amy’s Bears for Caring and Sharing.
Watch the KATU television profile about Amy by clicking here.
