Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western New York » Blog Archive Album 18 « Gallery 107 «

Heartfelt Times Newsletter Spring 2012

16 May 2012

Family Stories

The Said Family

Rima Said, left, and her daughter, Lamar, 3, right, join with Hank and Faye Sokol, “Cooks for Kids” volunteers, to prepare a home-cooked meal for guests. The Said Family is staying at the Ronald McDonald House while daughter, Jana, 4, receives outpatient treatment for leukemia. The family has been here for 10 months now, and will stay for as long as it takes to complete Jana’s cancer treatment. Many families like the Saids feel more at home when they can cook their own meals and maintain a familiar routine for their children. Families must spend long hours at the hospital with their sick child, and having community volunteers cook for them is a blessing.

Lamar Said, 3, above left. and her sister Jana, 4, enjoy blowing bubbles in the garden at the Ronald McDonald House. The long illness of a child can be an emotional rollercoaster, and adults and children alike appreciate this tranquil spot that provides them with a place to relax, rest and heal.

The Michienzi Family

Megan Michienzi, 11, who travels to Buffalo for testing, receives a hug from Sabretooth, the Sabres mascot, who accompanied a group representing the Buffalo Sabres that cooked dinner for guests. Despite their illness, kids can be kids at the Ronald McDonald House. The large playroom is a favorite spot for many youngsters and gives them something to look forward to when they must make frequent trips for medical treatment.

The Witmer Family

Brodey, 11, center, is surrounded by loved ones at the Ronald McDonald House. Clockwise from right are Kathie, Brodey’s grandmother; Kaylee, Brodey’s sister; Natalie Witmer, Brodey’s mother, and a family friend. Brodey feels right at home at the Ronald McDonald House. He has been staying here since his first birthday when he had to begin traveling to Buffalo for specialized treatment. He suffers from a condition called Vein of Galen Malformation, which results in brain aneurysms. It can be frightening for a child to undergo medical treatment far from home, but the Ronald McDonald House makes sure his family is right there with him.

The Marlowe Family

The Marlowe family prepared a home-cooked meal for resident families to return the support and friendship they had received while staying at the Ronald McDonald House in 2010. From left are Major Bill Marlowe; Maddy, 2; Sabrina, Hannah and Liam. After seven months in Iraq, Major Marlowe expected to go home to North Carolina to meet Maddy, then three months old, who had been born while he was deployed. Instead, he was told to go to Buffalo, where she was hospitalized with an infection that caused serious breathing problems. The Ronald McDonald House allowed him and his wife to be near their sick child. The House also gave him the opportunity to reconnect with the other children who hadn’t seen him in seven months. “I don’t know how I ever would have done it without the House,” said Sabrina. “I want people to know how appreciative we are for the support, the hugs and the friendship we found there.”

Your gift helps us keep parents close to their sick children. Please give generously.
Please consider donating using one of the options below and help us make our house their home.

Donate Online

You may make a secure online donation using your Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit card through PayPal.

Please note that once you have completed your online donation, you will be directed back to our site where an additional form will be presented for you to provide additional information about your donation if you wish.

Other Methods of Giving

A printable donation form is also available, or you may call our office at (716) 883-1177 to make a donation over the phone.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western New York is not a member of the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, but may receive contributions through the United Way Donor Choice Program. The Charity also receives contributions through the State Employee Federated Appeal (SEFA) and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) programs. You can designate that all, or a portion, of your employee contribution to the United Way, SEFA or CFC come to RMHC.

Our Families Thank You!

Notes from Sally

During National Volunteer Week in April, we hung a banner to welcome our weekly shift volunteers, and staff members prepared breakfast and lunch for them. We wanted to honor the people who contribute generous, selfless hours making the Ronald McDonald House a home and give gifts of kindness to the families staying at the House.

One of these volunteers is Al Dittenhauser, Master of House Maintenance, who generously donates two days of his time each week so that families can be assured of having a comfortable and safe residence. When Al is not replacing burned-out chandelier bulbs or freeing up house water lines, he is building or repairing equipment in this 14,000-square-foot House.

Check out the photos below to see the many ways volunteers help our families, and go to rmhcwny.org or call us at (716) 883-1177 to become a volunteer, too!

Thank you all for your loyal support!

Sally Vincent, Executive Director

Housebriefs

There are many ways you can help the House. We invite Western New York companies, organizations and community groups to support the Ronald McDonald House through donations of cash, products or services or by organizing a fundraising event.

Perhaps you can supply items from our Wish List, which can be seen at rmhcwny.org. Volunteers are always needed for our Cooks For Kids meal preparation program.

No matter how big or small your donation, your gift makes a real difference in the lives of our families!


Kylie Dennison and Allyson Terhaar delivered thousands of aluminum pull tabs collected by school children in Webster, N.Y. The Ronald McDonald House recycles donated tabs and uses the cash to purchase items that are needed for the house. Pull for Ronald McDonald House families!	Wives and friends of the Buffalo Sabres players and coaches volunteered by preparing a delicious barbeque for families. Sabres mascot, Sabretooth, charmed children staying at the Ronald McDonald House.	Members of New Bethel Community Church prepared a delicious chicken dinner and delivered hugs of support to guests. Two families in the congregation stayed at Ronald McDonald Houses when their children were hospitalized in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Stephon, far left, is a heart transplant recipient and his family was grateful for the support they received from the House in Pittsburgh.


Amanda Schwartz, member of the National Junior Honor Society, made “grab and go” bags for families to take to the hospital. The bags hold an assortment of appealing snacks and a bottle of water that families can grab on their way to the hospital to visit their sick or injured child.	Holy Angels Academy students blitzed the Ronald McDonald House. Below the freshmen prepare lunch for guest families, and at left, juniors perform a spring clean-up of the grounds.