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A HomeAway from Home The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte Prepares to Welcome Families BY ELIZABETH BOYD The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte (RMH) will soon open its doors to families of seriously ill children seeking treatment in Charlotte. Situated on Morehead Street, the House is convenient to both Levine Children’s Hospital on the campus of Carolinas Medical Center and Hemby Children’s Hospital on the main campus of Presbyterian Hospital. With the House’s opening, families with sick children who travel to Charlotte for care at either of these children’s hospitals will have a home away from home. They will come to Charlotte without the worries of locating and paying for lodging close to the hospital. They will be able to more fully focus their attention on the needs of their seriously ill children. Scheduled to open its doors to families in mid-April, the House will consist of 28 bedroom suites, a community kitchen, learning center, playground, great room and sitting porch. Each family will have its own bedroom suite and the other areas will be available for all guests to use. A team of volunteer interior designers helped design the suites and a volunteer building committee has kept everything on track, working closely with the builder, J.F. Schultze Construction. The Charlotte community has supported the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte since it was just a vision. The RMH launched an initial capital campaign with a $9 million goal and, despite the challenging economy, it is just $500,000 away from that goal. Fundraising efforts continue as the House focuses on reaching its goal and raising the $650,000 needed annually for operating expenses. Families staying at the Ronald McDonald House will be asked to consider a donation of $10-$20 per night to cover a portion of the cost of their stay, but no family will be turned away for financial reasons. The majority of the $85 per family per night cost will be funded through donations. The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte puts the last touches on construction. PHOTO BY TRICIA WILLIAMS The Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) began its support of the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte with a $10,000 donation to the capital campaign. The League recognized the important work of the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte and its fit with Healthy Child Initiative, the League’s current focus on the physical, mental, and dental health of area children. The donation funded family lockers in the pantry of the House, a place where families will be able to safely store personal foods and/or medicines. This area will be named for the Junior League of Charlotte in appreciation of its commitment. In addition to providing financial support, the JLC is also excited to join more than 2,000 volunteers from across the Charlotte area in supporting the daily operations of the House. Ari Harris, Community Outreach Director for the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, calls the League volunteers “an incredible source of volunteer power.” She went on to say, “The RMH knows that members of the Junior League already have a deeply rooted commitment to helping others and helping the community, which makes Junior League volunteers the ideal people to have working in our House. We are excited to have such a large, dedicated group of volunteers in place as we prepare to open our doors!” 24 The Junior League of Charlotte - Making a Difference Since 1926
League members will serve as House Operations Volunteers when the House opens. Members will be trained for three different duties, including front desk/reception, guest services, and housekeeping. Ten JLC volunteers have already completed extensive training on the house operations responsibilities. These volunteers are training the 29 additional volunteers who began the placement in January. Ginger Seabrook, a current member of the committee, described the training that the committee received. “Our committee spent a lot of time learning about the history of the RMH, its mission, and operations of other houses. Our committee is even knowledgeable on the planned day to day operations, the role of other volunteer groups and the floor plan of the house. Pfeiffer University trained us on families in crisis, Johnson & Wales taught us how to provide excellent guest service, and Kindermourn educated us about grief.” With so much training under their belts, committee members eagerly await opening day. They look forward to putting their knowledge into practice, and the future promises more collaboration between the League and the RMH. Through the project evaluation process, the JLC committed 50 volunteers and $1000 to the House for the 2011-12 year. The volunteers will continue the work started by this year’s committee. Kara Culpepper, current chair of the committee, commented, “The JLC is committed to programs that support Healthy Child Initiative and the Ronald McDonald House provides support to families of critically ill children from all over the world. We are proud to serve as Ronald McDonald House Operations Volunteers, a role that allows us to serve as dutiful ambassadors of the JLC in the Charlotte community.” The opportunities for both the JLC and the Charlotte community to serve the RMH in meaningful ways will exist far into the future. The House will need financial donations as well as donations of new toys and books and other items from its wish list. Volunteers can help plan special events, prepare meals, assist with cleaning and special projects, and much more. In the words of Harris, “If you want to be involved, there will be a way to get you involved. All you have to do is call and let us know how you’d like to help!” While completion of the building is an important milestone, the work of the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte and its volunteers is just beginning. In Our Words Nominated for an Emmy ® Award Another big congratulations is in order for In Our Words. The half-hour documentary, co-produced by the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) and WTVI, was nominated for a Midsouth Regional Emmy® Award. In Our Words was among four other nominees in the Public Affairs category. The winner was announced at the Emmy® Awards gala in Nashville, Tennessee on January 29. Although it didn’t win, Community Child Team Vice Chair Aynsley Bourne Spencer, who attended the gala, says,“Our team was truly honored that the film was nominated. The true winners are the amazing kids who shared their wisdom in the film to help others overcome adversity.” In Our Words has quickly become a highly recognized film garnering other awards, such as a 2010 Voice Awards Honorable Mention and two Bronze Tellys which were awarded last year. In Our Words poignantly captures the emotions of five local families dealing with issues such as youth loss, grief, stress, distress, anxiety, abuse and neglect. Through these heartfelt testimonials and commentary from local health care providers, viewers are inspired to feel more hopeful during times of adversity. One is sure to walk away with life skills to live happily and healthily. Beverly Penninger of Naka Productions Inc., the film's award-winning producer, beautifully captures the hope, courage and wisdom of the elementary, middle and high school children who shared how they handled: (1) the loss of a mother due to breast cancer; (2) the loss of a friend in a bus accident; (3) military deployment of a father; (4) the loss of all family income; and (5) gross neglect and adoption. Excellence in television is the minimum standard for an Emmy® Award nomination. In Our Words delivers brilliantly. Congratulations and job well done! The Junior League of Charlotte - Making a Difference Since 1926 25
Page 1 and 2: The Magazine of the Junior League o
Page 3 and 4: The CRIER Staff 2010-2011 JLC Staff
Page 5 and 6: You can’t turn back the clock, bu
Page 7 and 8: Spring Volume 84 • Issue 3 2011 C
Page 9 and 10: In the midst of the fundraising cam
Page 11 and 12: ceremony coincided with the celebra
Page 13 and 14: JLC League Leaders in the Community
Page 15 and 16: AnIntimate Conversation Breaking Ba
Page 17 and 18: Ready… Set… Kids in Junior Leag
Page 19 and 20: Communications Council members take
Page 21 and 22: JLC Historians Why History Matters
Page 23: Investing in the JLC The Annual Cam
Page 27 and 28: Browning’s son, David Barnhardt r
Page 29 and 30: The Dream Team Meet the New JLC Lea
Page 31 and 32: Charlotte 1960: A Time of Change an
Page 33 and 34: Spring Forward and Serve BY NATASHA
Page 35 and 36: Index To Advertisers To advertise i

Building Charlotte

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