NEW ORLEANS (press release) – This GivingTuesday, Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHC-SLA) is encouraging generous givers to make a donation to support its Meals From the Heart and Comforts of Home programs.
The local charity reopened Ronald McDonald House New Orleans, a home away from home for out-of-town families of seriously ill or injured children needing medical treatment in the New Orleans area, in September. With volunteer groups unable to cook in the House kitchen due to COVID-19 safety protocols, RMHC-SLA is relying on outside donations to fund its Meal From the Heart program.
“This holiday season, as we gather with our own families, either in person or virtually, we ask you to remember those unable to be home because of their sick child,” said Marianne Addy, RMHC-SLA Executive Director. Donations can be made on the charity’s GivingTuesday website at www.225gives.org/rmhcsla or by mailing a check to RMHC-SLA, 4403 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119.
According to Addy, “Comforts of Home” is a new RMHC-SLA program, begun during the pandemic to help families not staying at the Ronald McDonald House but who are experiencing financial and emotional distress because of a medical emergency. Comfort bags are filled with hand selected items for the neonatal or pediatric patient and their parents or siblings, including restaurant or gas gift cards, games, soft blankets, books and other toiletries, and delivered to hospital social workers for distribution as needed.
“With space limited right now at our Ronald McDonald House because of our COVID-19 protocols, we decided to bring comforts of home to the hospital,” said Addy.
At the Ronald McDonald House, families get a free place to stay, meals to eat, transportation if needed, and a built-in support system where families help one other. In 2019 483 families from 42 Louisiana parishes, 13 other states and four foreign countries stayed at Ronald McDonald House New Orleans. The average stay was 7 nights, and families saved over $750,000 on hotel stays.
Held this year on December 1st, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world.
For more information or to donate, please visit the charity’s GivingTuesday website at www.225gives.org/rmhcsla or call 504-486-6668.
