Volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House provided a way for me to give back to those who supported me in a time of need, and make a positive difference in the lives of young children. My son was born 5 weeks premature and had heart and lung complications after birth. After I was discharged from the hospital, I was referred to the Ronald McDonald House. Because of the support they provided, my family was able to visit more. I had a place to get meals and shower during the hos

At the Ronald McDonald House, they provide training and intake work before you start actually volunteering. First, you fill out and application and start the background check. Next, they conduct an interview and give a tour of the home. Video trainings and information including the goals and guidelines of the organization are shared. Last, you go through three shadow shifts with a more experienced volunteer to learn the process and get more familiar with where things are loca

I collaborated with the Ronald McDonald House staff to promote and fulfill the mission of the organization by providing a safe, clean, and supportive environment for families to rest and recharge during their child’s medical care. Clutter and the need to keep up with household chores increases stress, “a person's visual cortex can be overwhelmed by objects not related to a particular task” (Gordon, 2025). Insuring a clean environment for families reduces the stress they have

In every workplace or organization, communication and dedication are effective to establishing and fostering positive relationships. As educators, we understand the value of maintaining open and supportive communication to support the needs of children and their families within our classroom. In a volunteer role, it is essential to interact with other members and participants, as well as supporting the organization’s needs. As a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House, I can b

The goal of the Ronald McDonald House is to provide a close location for parents to rest during their child’s hospitalization, thus enabling them to support them and be closely involved in their medical care. Parental involvement benefits children medically and with their education. The support from the Ronald McDonald House ensures families are aware of medical care, complications, procedures, and discharge information. It improves social-emotional outcomes post hospitalizat

Informed advocacy involves using knowledge and resources to provide support and make decisions. Volunteer organizations can utilize informed advocacy by connecting guests/participants to resources, information, groups, and services that may benefit their situation. Advocacy ensures that people are aware of their rights, that misinformation is not being spread, and addresses issues. Informed advocacy and action varies on the field, such as healthcare or education. At the Ron

The Ronald McDonald House provides family with a clean, safe, and supportive environment for free while their child is hospitalized. This allows families to be involved in their child’s development by ensuring more time is available to spent with their child’s development, be more involved in their medical care, and reduce financial strain. These aspects create a sense of normalcy and comfort, thus improving psychological wellbeing. Stress factors increase for parents dep

Criteria: Actively initiates participation to engage families in a supportive role through programming, events, and initiatives of the internship organization. As a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House, I can engage families through initiatives of the organization by assisting with preparation of events and responding to needs. Currently, preparations involve boxing Halloween items for the Care Cart and in House Trick or Treat for current day and over night guests. Famili

The majority population of families staying in the Fort Wayne, Indiana Ronald McDonald House are families of babies receiving neonatal care in the Parkview Regional Medical Center NICU. Out of all Ronald McDonald House guests, primary pediatric hospitalizations were found in pediatric oncology, neonatal intensive care, and pediatric intensive care (Cosquer & Jousselme, 2022). Hospitalizations and chronic illnesses can have lasting impacts on children and families. These range

( Stay at Ronald McDonald House Indiana | Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Indiana ) To explore the eligibility requirements or sign up to stay at a Ronald McDonald House, click this link. All guests staying with the Ronald McDonald have sick children who are at the time, hospitalized. The majority of the demographics include low-income and out of state or city populations as these people are in primary need of lodging during their child's medical stay. Per their gu

Blog Post #8: Ethical Standards (NAEYC 6b) Criteria: Always upholds the highest ethical standards with all stakeholders  Ethical standards in any field guide behavior and decision-making in terms of the environment you're in. Ethical standards in professional settings ensure that a process or procedure is followed in compliance with company practices and guidelines. When starting a new job with a company, there is usually an orientation session dedicated to ethics, includi

When you order at McDonald's, you get asked if you would like to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. If you don't know about the organization, you've heard of it. The Ronald McDonald House of Charity Slogan is: "Keeping Families Close...To their hospitalized children. Close to healthcare. Close to the best medicine- family." They achieve this by allowing parents of hospitalized children to stay in their free housing where they receive free meals, hygiene products,

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