I have been privileged to work with the Ronald McDonald House for the past few months on a Web site redesign. After being invited to join their marketing committee by someone with whom I work (and president of their board), I took over the responsibility of updating their site, and introduced a plan to recreate their site using weblog software .
Implementing it took on a sense of urgency in the past few days, as they are announcing the new site in their next newsletter. So, aside from a few behind-the-scenes tweaks, it is set to go.
The Ronald McDonald House of Buffalo gives children and their families a welcoming, supportive "home away from home" while being treated at local hospitals. People come from around the world to receive medical care in our region, and staying in a hotel for days - or weeks - at a time isn't always an option. The RMH provides so much more - the chance to connect with other families in similar situations, a real kitchen, and dozens of other amenities make an otherwise traumatic time a little less burdensome.
The Ronald McDonald House is there for those families who live out of town and who are depending on Buffalo hospitals to keep them alive. Imagine that a child in your family is injured in a car crash and requires months of intensive care. Or is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and needs weeks of chemotherapy injections. Could your family afford that hotel bill? Could they travel from their hometown to the hospital every day? Would they have any type of support system in another city? My guess is no.
I feel honored to have been part of this, and look forward to adding new features and content. If it means that one family sees information on that site and it helps them, it has been worth it.
For those of you who eat at McDonalds, the Help with all your Heart campaign will continue through February 14. Pitch in a buck or three when you place your order; these funds stay in the area to make this House possible.