Ronald McDonald House Canberra NEWSLETTERIssue 2

Ronald McDonald House I P O Box 635 I Mawson ACT 2607 ILevel 2, Centenary Hospital for Women & Children I Garran Canberra I ACT I 205

T: (02) 6281 5894 F: (02) 6281 7093 I email I http://www.rmhc.org.au/canberra-act

IN THIS ISSUE

A Message from the House

Elect Printing

Natalie’s Story

Upcoming Opportunities

Meals From the Heart

Volunteering

A Volunteer’s Story – Cheryl

1st Birthday Photos

Our Family Photos

Our Partners

Ronald McDonald House I P O Box 635 I Mawson ACT 2607 ILevel 2, Centenary Hospital for Women & Children I Garran Canberra I ACT I 205

T: (02) 6281 5894 F: (02) 6281 7093 I email I http://www.rmhc.org.au/canberra-act

A MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE

Welcome…

WAITING ON CONTENT FROM DEIRDRE

Happy readingThe Team Ronald McDonald House Canberra

ADOPT A ROOM PROGRAM

ELECT PRINTING Elect Printing is our Gold Key Partner of Room 5 and is recognized as a

major partner of Ronald McDonald House Canberra.

Elect Printing prides itself in providing high quality printing services, great value for money and offering practical advice.

Elect Printing is a big supporter of Ronald McDonald House Canberra: not only is it a Gold Key Partner, the company also takes care of all the

printing at RMH Canberra, including for the RMHC Audi Gala Ball.

“We have been supporting Ronald McDonald House Canberra with all their printing requirements since late 2011, even before the House

opened”, Darren, co-owner of Elect Printing, says. “We wanted to help families of seriously ill children so this is a great opportunity to give

back to the community.”

Elect Printing operates out of its Fyshwick office and has been serving the Canberra community for over 22 years. The company’s focus is on

quality and exceeding client expectations.

Our work on behalf of children and their families depends on the commitment of our generous donors, corporate organisations and the

community at large. Ronald McDonald House Canberra relies heavily on printing in its day-to-day operations, as well as for organised events. A big thank you to Elect Printing for your ongoing support.

For more information or to participate in our Adopt a Room Program please contact Narelle Casey on 02 6281 5894 or at ncasey@rmhcanberra.com.au.Darren and John from Elect

Printing with their wives, Donna and Helen.

NATALIE’S STORY

WHEN NATALIE GAVE BIRTH TO HER DAUGHTER 8 WEEKS PREMATURE, RMH CANBERRA PROVIDED

A SAFE HAVEN.In mid-2013, Natalie’s pregnancy was going smoothly. As a young couple expecting their first child, it was a time of excitement for her and her partner, Clinton.

However, one day in late July, Natalie started having pains and was rushed to Canberra Hospital. After managing to stop an early labour, the doctors sent her home to Harden, a small town in NSW.

The pains returned though and, this time, an early labour could not be prevented. Natalie gave birth to Lucie 8 weeks premature. Two days later, Natalie checked in at Ronald McDonald House Canberra while her newborn daughter gained strength in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Despite the circumstances that brought her to the House, Natalie describes her three week long stay as “amazing”, stating that “I absolutely loved it. It was always clean and tidy, and it made everything so easy. I was able to walk down a few corridors to NICU to visit Lucie whenever I wanted”.

“One of the best aspects is the supportive atmosphere”, Natalie explains. “After talking with other families, we all realised that we shared similar stories, experiences and fears. I forged many good friendships.”

Natalie and Clinton have praised the staff’s efforts to make them feel at home. “Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful place to stay while we were going through a difficult time. I would not have been able to cope without your help and support.”

Ad Narelle provided

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITES

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERINGWe would like to invite your team into Ronald McDonald House

Canberra to help make it a home.

The up-keep of the House is extremely important . When families come to stay with us we want to make sure they have a clean and

comfortable space. Their focus is on their child.The Corporate Volunteering program invites a small group of

employees to come in and be apart of the day to day operations of a Ronald McDonald House.

You will be helping with the ‘spring clean’ of the House and tackling jobs that are not regular by our weekly volunteers.While many hands make light work this program only has a

limited availability. The next upcoming dates to participate in our Corporate Volunteering are:

-Wednesday 18th December 2013-Wednesday 26th February 2014-Wednesday 28th May 2014-Wednesday 27th August 2014-Wednesday 26th November 2014

Peter Blackshaw Corporate

If you are interested in our Corporate Volunteering program please contact Volunteer Coordinator Marnie Murrell on (02) 6281 5894 or at mmurrell@rmhcanberra.com.au

MEALS FROM THE HEART

Come in to Ronald McDonald House Canberra and participate in our

MEALS FROM THE HEART - an opportunity to host and prepare a meal at our “home away from

home” for families of seriously ill children.  

This is a much appreciated service to families who are supporting their sick children and who often don’t have the time, funds or energy to

prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal.  

Meals from the Heart is a great opportunity for your work place, business or group to contribute and make a real difference to the

families of RMH Canberra.

“We try to build a community culture and a volunteer culture within our workforce. RMH Canberra is a perfect vehicle for that” –

Brian, Department of Social Services

“Meals from the Heart was a way to help out other than directly donating money. It gets the staff involved at ground level – and they

love participating” – Karen, LJ Hooker

Demand and request from corporate Australia for volunteering opportunities at Ronald McDonald House is extremely high. As such we need to hold these limited corporate volunteering opportunities for organisations that are also supporting us financially. For more information or to organise a Meals from the Heart night please contact the Relationship Development Manager Narelle Casey on 02 62815894 or at ncasey@rmhcanberra.com.au.

THANK YOU

PREVIOUS MEALS FROM THE HEART

12 SEPTEMBERLJ Hooker

20 SEPTEMBERDepartment of Social Services

25 SEPTEMBERRugby Union Club

25 OCTOBERDepartment of Social Services

30 OCTOBERPeter Blackshaw Corporate

12 NOVEMBERiinet

One of our board members, Hani Sidaros (far left) , with his McDonald’s team.

UPCOMING MEALS FROM THE HEART

6 & 20 NOVEMBERMolonglo Community Bank

22 NOVEMBER Department of Social Services

26 NOVEMBER 2CC Radio

10 DECEMBERRugby Union Club

13 & 20 DECEMBERDepartment of Social Services

VOLUNTEERING AT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

SEEKING NEW HEARTSRonald McDonald House Canberra relies heavily on the

generosity of Volunteers to keep the big red doors open to the families of seriously ill babies & children.

There are so many ways you can help us. BECOME A VOLUNTEER TODAY

APPLICATIONS ONLINE AT: WWW.RMHC.ORG.AU/VOLUNTEERS-3

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT CAROLINE MCINTYRE

on (02) 6281 5894 or at cmcintyre@rmhcanberra.com.au VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR HOUSE

“The best part about volunteering at RMH Canberra is seeing families smile. That was my goal in coming here – to make someone happy. To make them feel at home so they don’t miss theirs as much” - Belinda

A VOLUNTEER’S STORY

CHERYLThe day-to-day functioning of Ronald McDonald House Canberra would not be possible without the dedication and support of our 102 volunteers.

Cheryl first heard about volunteer work at RMH Canberra through a friend who recommended it to her. “I decided to give it a try and convinced one of my friends to join me”, Cheryl recalls, “We have been coming in to lend a hand ever since.”

Cheryl has been volunteering as a cleaner once a week since February this year. “For some people, that might sound like a boring task, but the House acts as a home for the families staying here – it needs to be kept neat and tidy. Plus, I love what I’m doing here and it suits me.”

For Cheryl, one of the best aspects of volunteering is that it allows her to interact with other people. “Meeting new people - volunteers, staff or families - makes the work even more enjoyable. When you can directly see the difference you are making and how much RMH Canberra benefits from a few hours of your time, it’s a great feeling.”

Cheryl (far right) with volunteers Kaity, Jenny and Mavis under the Hearts of the House.

“I think Ronald McDonald House Canberra is terrifically organised. There’s a roster, everyone has a specific task, knows how and when to do it. Not to mention the staff are brilliant. They’re always very supportive and attentive. Finishing a shift leaves me a with a great sense of accomplishment.”

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CANBERRA CELEBRATES ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY!

TO CELEBRATE OUR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION, WE HOSTED AN IN-HOUSE PARTY FOR OUR FAMILIES,

VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF ON 16 OCTOBER.

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CANBERRA CELEBRATES ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY!

WE ALSO HOSTED AN EVENT AT THE NATIONAL ZOO AND AQUARIUM TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR

CORPORATE PARTNERS. WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY, WE ARE ABLE TO HELP SERIOUSLY ILL

CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.

OUR FAMILIES

OUR FAMILY PHOTOS Just a few of the wonderful people who have stayed at Ronald McDonald House Canberra, including our 200th

family! “If you can’t be at home, Ronald McDonald House is the

next best place to be.”

OUR PARTNERS 2CCACT GovernmentACT McDonaldsActew AGLActew CorporationACTTABACT Regional CheerleadingAudi Centre CanberraBakers Delight WodenBlackett Property GroupBlue Ink Office SuppliesBody to BurnBrioletteBrumbies RugbyCanberra FMCanberra WeeklyCanberra MilkCanberra RaidersCanberra Rubber Stamps & SignsCanberra Torana ClubCapital Linen ServiceCity NewsCoca ColaContent GroupCosmorex Coffee & Equipment Capital Hotel GroupCBAChemworksCrowes CurtainsCrowne PlazaDataflexDeloitteDomayne FyshwickDFK EverallsDuesburys Nexia Elect Printing Ernst & YoungEwayFamily Business Australia – Canberra BranchFord & AssociatesFrozpak Food Services Hedley Property groupHealth FuturesHuawei TechnologiesIdeas & DirectionsIllawarra Master BuildersIndependent Liquor RetailersJane & Garry Smee

J.G. ServiceJim Murphy OnlineJoyce Dickson Chartered AccountantsLeader Security LCdigitalLocal LiquorLJ HookerLuton Real Estate Maliganis Edwards JohnsonMayfair HomesMorgans GroupMaxim Charted Accountants McDonalds CoomaMcDonalds QueanbeyanMcDonalds Sutton Forrest McDonalds YassMeyer Vandenberg LawyersNCCNDH Property ServicesNova MultimediaOracle CanberraPeter Blackshaw Real Estate Price Waterhouse CoopersQantasQueanbeyan Leagues ClubRay White CanberraREST SuperRMHCRotary Club of BoorowaRotary Club of Woden DaybreakRUCServcorpStegglesTainn Hunter Classic 2012TelstraTerry Campese FoundationT-8 PhotographyThe Ben Donohue Run & WalkThe Canberra TimesThe Good GuysThe Yellow VanToday’s HomesTour de CureTransactTransit GraphicsTravelers ChoiceWBG BuildingWIN TV