Do you want to have a hands-on impact? Volunteers make a huge difference at the Ronald McDonald House. Watch this video to learn more.

To get involved, go here: http://www.rmhcoregon.org/volunteer

Last year, staff and board members crafted an eloquent new statement of values. Posted on our website and incorporated into every job description, the one-page document truly captures our organizational spirit and serves as inspiration for both existing and aspiring employees.

One of the many ways we attempt to incorporate the values is through a group discussion facilitated by a different team member at every monthly staff meeting. Last week, Kimberlee Hanken directed a 20-minute exercise designed to recognize and appreciate everyone’s unique contributions. In addition to feeling acknowledged by our colleagues, many of us were pleasantly surprised by the way others were impacted by softer personal qualities that we suspected were less obvious in the work environment.

Later that day, six of us gathered for an hour-long brown bag lunch to discuss the book, Brain Rules. This optional quarterly gathering highlights another value—our continued desire to learn and grow.

Activities like these demonstrate how seriously we embrace our values and how enthusiastically we try to apply them. I imagine they’re one of the reasons RMHC was recognized by Oregon Business Magazine as one of the top ten non-profits to work for in Oregon last year.

A recent article in the on-line magazine, “Fast Company,” underscores the need for values to be widely evident:

“It’s one thing to have beliefs and values spelled out in a frame in the conference room. It’s another thing to have genuine and memorable beliefs that are directional, alive and modeled throughout the organization daily… Don’t just list your company’s values in PowerPoints; bring them to life in people, products, spaces, at events, and in communication.” (“Culture Eats Strategy For Lunch,” FASTCOMPANY.COM, January 24, 2012)

As Executive Director, I’m proud of the people (staff and volunteers alike) who bring our values to life each day. I invite you to read our value statement in its entirety. I also welcome your feedback on how we’re doing. We strive to listen well and respond creatively. Those are values, too!

Tom Soma, Executive Director

The April Newsletter went out today, with all the latest information and updates from Ronald McDonald House Charities. Click here to read the newsletter online.

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Weed & Feed 2012 - Saturday, May 5

Join an army of volunteers at both houses for a work party in the garden, to get Portland’s two Ronald McDonald Houses ready for spring and summer. Help us weed, rake, plant, and trim, with a free lunch provided by McDonald’s! Bring your own tools, or borrow some of ours. More yard-debris bags are always appreciated! This is also a great activity for kids and groups!

To sign up, contact the volunteer manager at the house you would like to attend.

East House: Meg Long – 971-230-6708 / meg.long@rmhcoregon.org
West House: Julie Ramil – 971-230-0808 / julie.ramil@rmhcoregon.org.

How long can you stay away from home before wishing you’d never left?

My grass needs to be cut weekly. I shudder at the sight of a ten-day stack of mail. A layer of dust coats the house in two weeks (the longest I’ve ever been away), and the weeds are a foot tall in a month.

OK, maybe six weeks on the weeds. In any case, the undesired consequences of an extended absence are the accumulated responsibilities lurking upon one’s return.

At our Ronald McDonald Houses, the average stay (experienced by about three-fourths of our guests) is seven days. By contrast, this morning’s roster includes two families who arrived a month ago, two who’ve been here two months, three who are well into their third month, and two who’ve been here more than six months—which explains all the jigsaw puzzles I’ve noticed lately.

It’s not hard to sympathize with a family whose seriously ill child is hospitalized far from home. But my heart really goes out to our long-term families. In such situations, one parent often stays home to “hold down the fort”—and care for other siblings. Some couples alternate assignments—a mother here one week, a father the next. Other families—who live close enough—may arrange for the home-based spouse to visit on week-ends. Grandparents frequently provide relief—both here and at home. No matter the arrangement, it’s an unenviable balancing act.

We can’t do anything about the weeds, bills, and dust accumulating for families back home. But every day, volunteers, donors, and staff members help make the conditions here as warm, safe, and inviting as possible—a reality that was underscored by an eight-year-old girl in the kitchen this morning, who said to her father, “You were right, Dad—this is a pretty cool place!”

Of course, none of our guests would ever choose the circumstances that bring them here. But it’s nice to know that their time away from home can still be pretty cool.

Tom Soma, Executive Director

We’re starting a new online feature called Room of the Month – which gives you the chance to look inside the Ronald McDonald House at some of the special spaces that make Portland’s houses unique. Our room adoption program means that many different groups in the community have adopted rooms, and decorated them with fun themes and creative ideas so that no two rooms are alike.

This week, we start with Room 226 at the East House – adopted by Doris Nelson in honor of one of her daughters, and decorated with a Cowboy Western theme. Guests sometimes refer to it as the “Horse Room” because of the beautiful murals painted on the walls that make you feel like you are sleeping in a stable. When the room opened in 2005, a four year-old-boy who lived on a ranch in Central Oregon became one of the first guests to stay in it. He walked in, saw the decorations, and told his parents, “They new we were coming!”

RMHC’s Red Shoe Society, a new group to inspire and empower young leaders (ages 21-45) through awareness and engagement, is up and running and excited to invite you to our first social event on April 18 from 4-7 pm at Uptown Billiards. There will be complimentary snacks, as well as a no-host bar.

Come learn about the Red Shoe Society and socialize with others who have a passion for RMHC, are looking to network in the business community, and, of course, have fun.

Please RSVP by April 13 if you are able to make it!

RSVP:
Rylee O’Brien
rylee.obrien@rmhcoregon.org
971-230-6709

Uptown Billiards
120 NW 23rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97210

Enter to win a dream trip for two to compete in the Lexus Champions for Charity Tournament, December 5-9, at the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Resort. Play three famous courses over three days: Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Links at Spanish Bay and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Raffle tickets are available for just $50, but only 500 tickets will be sold. The winner will be chosen at the conclusion of the Mike Rich and Friends Golf Tournament benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and Southwest Washington on Monday, July 30. The winner will be notified by Wednesday, August 1. Tickets are already going fast!

Click here to enter!

Sign up with Sharing Spree for daily deals that benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Like GroupOn, when you sign up for Sharing Spree, you’ll receive daily deals in your email to local businesses. But with Sharing Spree, whenever  you make a purchase, 5% will come back to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.

It’s simple and easy to sign up! Click here to sign up with Sharing Spree!

I recently read about a new form of in-utero surgery. Despite the invasive procedure, the baby is born with no scar. Amazing!

Last week, I visited my grandson in Alabama—a pleasure that furthered my awe of technology. From his “BOB” stroller to the bedroom video monitor to a plastic toy piano that plays half a dozen songs in near-stereo quality, I was astonished by the many amusements and improvements enjoyed by families today. And then there are my high-tech favorites—Face Time and Skype—which enable me to see and hear my grandson several times a week—despite the 2,000 miles between us.

But amid all the advancements easing the lives of both medical patients and modern parents, there’s no substitute for good old-fashioned hugs—which make just about everything feel better. At the Ronald McDonald Houses, we play a high-touch role in medical treatment. By wrapping our arms—both figuratively and literally—around the mothers and father of sick children, we help parents help their children heal. In so doing, staff members and volunteers are invaluable partners with doctors, nurses, and social workers on an extended care team.

In the process of hugging parents, we often have the opportunity to get our arms around their children, too—a treat that usually occurs well into the healing process. And while I can’t say what my hug might do for a child, I know it makes me feel good! Especially on the days I really miss my grandson…

Tom Soma, Executive Director