On any given day the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass provides a place for 15 to 20 families to stay and asks only seven dollars per night to compensate for the service. But few can pay even that and no one will be turned away. Because of their generosity, only 14% of the necessary finances come from this meager income (Blackman). They must find monetary and tangible resources in other areas.
Nation-wide, each McDonald’s restaurant franchise donates according to their own discrepancy. The local McDonald’s in Lexington donates all of the bleach and detergents that families use for the free washing machines and clothes dryers. Martin Brower, the parent company of the McDonald’s restaurants, donates all of the napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper that are necessary across the country. Bissell contributes from their own specialty—vacuums and cleaning supplies. And Coca-Cola gives cans of coke to the organization as a fund raiser. The cokes are free to be given away, but Coca-Cola asks that they be sold at twenty-five cents apiece to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Charities. (Walher).
Clearly essential products such as napkins and cleaning supplies account for what would be a large amount of money annually if they were not donated. Both Beth Walher and Beth Blackman, Executive Manager in charge of finances, recognize the importance of these donors and other volunteers. The donation of these products is extremely helpful, but monetary assistance is essential too.
In New York City, the largest Ronald McDonald House in America stands proud as a building with social and architectural value. With terraced playrooms, an aquarium, and 16 individual kitchens, it is no doubt a delight for the children to stay in (“Comforts of Home” 27). But even a place with such fine features comes across hard times. Today, in this time of economic hardship, donors are cutting back and charities such as this one are struggling. In 1996, an impressive diner and dance social outing was planned in the elegant Waldorf Astoria on May 13, 1996 to raise much needed funds for the New York City Ronald McDonald House. Tickets to this event cost $500 apiece. (“For Ronald McDonald House” 55).
While Lexington does not hold such elegant diner parties for all of the cities socialites, they have planned other fund raisers throughout the year. Beth Blackman notes, “We haven’t been hit as hard as some others [by the economic crisis] but some of our fund raisers haven’t been as good.” The Playhouse they put on for the kids in the fall did not sell as many tickets as it has in past years. While she is thankful that annual donors are still contributing, Blackman suspects that individual families have opted to save the $10 for the Playhouse ticket and spend it elsewhere. As with many non-profit organizations, finding financial support is a constant struggle, but there are other ways to help out as well.
If you can’t find the money, there are still other ways to help out. Panera Bread donates a sizable amount of bread every week which is laid out for every one there to enjoy. Barbra Gillum, Assistant Manager of the house, explained, “Without community groups, this place could never exist.” Local churches and other organizations find ways to help without contributing financially.
Over 100 scheduled volunteers work with the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass every week. Forty-two van drivers are on call, having agreed to transport patrons to and from the hospitals during the week and on weekends. This is a commendable job considering that many families leave very early in the morning and don’t return to the house until after 10 or 11 o’clock in the evening, a time that most people would rather be in bed themselves. Up to 68 more In-house Volunteers, as they are called, come in every week to clean the rooms, wash linens, answer phones, and do a number of other necessary tasks with no kind of compensation. One man with his own lawn care service in Lexington contributes by taking care of all of their yard work—free of charge. (Blackman).
Besides these scheduled, dependable volunteers, others drift in and out of the house perhaps once a month, annually, or only once in their lifetime to make a small donation. At least once a week, Beth Walher tries to have a charitable group, such as a women’s group from a local church, come in and prepare a home-made meal for her guests. Everyone who works at the Ronald McDonald House will eagerly tell you how thankful they are for all of their many volunteers. Currently, there are only two full-time paid positions available and these two ladies know that they could never get the job done without the help of volunteers (Walher).
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Introduction (Part 1)
Why Do They Do It? (Part 2)
Closing (Part 4)
Works Cited
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