NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Yesterday evening, at the inaugural Fore the Families Patron Par•tee, Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHC-SLA) announced the launch of a first-ever Day Program in January. The all-new Day Program will allow any family member living in the Greater New Orleans area whose child is receiving inpatient care at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (CHNOLA) to utilize the Ronald McDonald House, located on the hospital’s campus, as a place of respite and rejuvenation.
The Day Program will operate Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. and feature access to lunch, laundry, quiet nooks to read, relax, watch TV, play video games and more.
“This is the final piece of our puzzle,” said Grace McIntosh, executive director of RMHC-SLA. “Families who live in the Greater New Orleans area do not want to be away from their child and will stay in the hospital all day and into the night. Our Day Program invites these local families to our house, where they can get a meal, relax in one of the quiet areas, siblings can play video games and families can learn about services that can assist them once their child leaves the hospital. The most important thing we can give these families is the gift of time – time to be more available and more present for their child.”
In partnership with the Louisiana Children’s Museum, on Wednesdays the Day Program will feature a special age-appropriate art activity for both children and adults led by a museum educator.
“We are so thrilled to be a part of this exciting initiative,” said Tifferney White, Louisiana Children’s Museum CEO. “Our team is constantly looking for ways to meet community needs and we are delighted to be able to spend time each week bringing smiles to the faces of RMHC-SLA families through learning and play.”
For those interested in participating in the Day Program, it is required for families to reach out to their child’s CHNOLA social worker for a referral and day pass. More information will be available at rmhc-sla.org at the end of the year.
Since RMHC-SLA’s founding in December 1983, they have served more than approximately 30,000 families from Greater New Orleans and across the country. With the help of the local community, they help ease the financial and emotional burdens families face as they access critical care for their children. They are that home-away-from-home, offering free accommodations, volunteer-provided meals, transportation when needed, a food pantry and a support system like no other.
