Families, volunteers pay it forward

If you live somewhere in the Maritimes outside of HRM, and you have a sick or injured child in your family who has to come here to be treated at the IWK, then chances are you’ve been to the Ronald McDonald House. A home away from home for families of sick children across the region, the Ronald McDonald House has touched innumerable lives over their 32-year history — and sometimes, those who have been touched come back to lend a helping hand to those who they know from experience need it most.

Chelsea Cumby is a paralegal student at Eastern College here in Halifax, having originated from Marystown, New Brunswick. The city isn’t new to her, though, as she’s been here before, when her little brother needed last-minute treatment at the IWK Health Centre.

“My brother stayed here. He was born in ’94 with Tetrology of the Fallot, which is a hole in the heart,” says Cumby. “It was a very last-minute thing, where he had to come to Halifax from Newfoundland for a major open-heart surgery, which was a life-or-death situation. Which is hard on any family, especially last-minute, to have to fly here, stay here for a month, and have major surgery.”

Traveling for medical treatment can be a major financial burden on a family — while bills continue to accumulate at home, they have to account for fuel, lodgings, food, and often times a loss of work or income, all at the same time. The Ronald McDonald House offers an inexpensive alternative to the lodging issue, as each unit is a mere $11 a night, and they have programs in place, such as third-party billing, to help offset the costs of long-term visits.

Thankfully, Cumby’s brother pulled through, and is doing well today. But her and her family have not forgotten how great a help the house provided in their time of need.

“They’re really thankful for the Ronald McDonald House, as well as I am,” says Cumby. “And I wanted to give back.”

Tammy Reid, Cumby’s instructor at Eastern College, tries to get her students involved in fundraising each year around this time.

“We usually do that with the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia,” says Reid. “This year, Chelsea had talked about the Ronald McDonald House, and I personally didn’t know there was such a need. But they have, for example, weekly volunteers that do weekly baking here, so they’re always in need of baking supplies.”

It’s easy to assume that the Ronald McDonald House charity is entirely funded through its namesake, McDonalds. But that’s only part of the equation. The House still relies on community partners to keep the house running, as well as volunteers who just want to give back to the community.

“Like any non-profit organization, you rely on the community, which we do,” says Shauna MacLennan, the executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Maritime branch. “The support that we get through not just the Halifax community, but all over the maritimes, is incredible … It really does go a long way, having our partners in the community support the house.”

MacLennan says that there are 140 volunteers devoting four hours of their time each week. One of the programs that volunteers can support — the program Cumby and her class chose to take part in — is the Home for Dinner program, where volunteers buy the ingredients and cook a meal for the residents of the Ronald McDonald House.

“It’s nice to be able to just come back to the house, and not really have to worry about cooking,” says Kayla Millett, who has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House regularly for eight months, when her newborn son was born with Hirschprung’s disease, which necessitated the surgical removal of his colon. “It’s nice for families, because even though we’re down here, your bills and stuff don’t stop at home. It’s hard, financially, being down here. It’s nice to have a free meal, and it’s nice when they bake cookies – it kind of makes you feel like you’re at grandma’s house.”

For MacLennan, the Home for Dinner program doesn’t just provide their guests with a free meal – it gives them the gift of time with their children.

“Having a meal prepared for you directly impacts the amount of time parents can spend with their child,” says MacLennan. “If the parents don’t have to be in the kitchen, they can have more time to play or read or hang out or engage with their child.”

Cumby and her class didn’t just stop there — they took up a collection at their school, and surprised the house with brand new baking supplies (volunteers bake fresh cookies and treats at least once a week), gift cards to Sobeys and Superstore, and a further monetary donation.

They’re not stopping there, either.

“We’ve decided to keep a jar out front at reception at school, to continuously raise funds, and now that we know that there’s a continuous need for such things as baking supplies and funds, we’re going to look into doing this more on a regular basis,” says Reid.

“I want to help them,” says Cumby. “I know some people that help them on a regular basis – it’s a big-time commitment, but when I have time, I’ll definitely do it.”

MacLennan says that the Home for Dinner program runs, on average, about five days a week, but she would like to see it reach seven days a week. If you or anyone you know is interested in giving back to the community, and wants to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House, call them at 902-429-4044, or visit their website, http://rmhatlantic.ca.