RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES
RESPONSE TO COVID-19
AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
October 9, 2020
It’s been over 7 months since Ronald McDonald House Charities suspended program operations that included our intake of families at the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and our Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. Soon thereafter we responded to the crisis in impactful ways including repurposing the House in support of healthcare professionals, relocating families to nearby hotels, delivering meals and packages to caregivers.
Today marks a milestone, the house has been open for 3 months in our program reinstatement plan. These last months have been humbling and we are inspired to provide the care and services so many families still need during these difficult times. We have all faced our own personal impacts of COVID-19 and so many other challenges, yet we celebrate the amazing progress we have made thanks to the commitment of our community.
The Ronald McDonald Family Room will remain closed until sometime next year as we adhere to public health guidelines and those at the UVM Medical Center. Vermont has done a good job at maintaining a very low case number for COVID positive cases; therefore, we must continue our vigilance as the course of the virus remains largely unknown.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile continues to be off the road until further notice. Many schools are facing challenges on various levels, yet we feel hopeful the dental van will resume its schedule as soon as it is safe to do so.
We continue to manage the day-to-day details of keeping staff and families safe, while also keeping a broader, more strategic focus on what comes next. Our management team looks different and we press forward to deliver our mission in our “current normal”.
We all know that the seasons have come and gone and at times most of the previous months seem like a blur. We cannot forget how much we have done in such a short time and yet there is still so much ahead of us.
We continue our unwavering commitment to do whatever is right for our organization and the children and families we serve in the long-term…ever striving to make the right decisions at the right time and then doing the very best we can. We are still going strong, adapting how we work and finding joy in delivering our mission in new ways.
August 14, 2020
Here we are in the tail end of summer and it is hard to believe that we have been immersed in the uneasiness of the pandemic throughout that time. Yet despite all of this, we forge forward and promise ourselves that we will live our lives with as much normalcy as possible.
Currently we are in Phase Two of our RMHC Reinstatement Plan. That means we continue to introduce families to our program on a limited basis, at reduced capacity. We have guest families from New York and Vermont with minimum stays of 5 days. They are still restricted to their own suites and not permitted to gather around the kitchen or living areas. Life is certainly different here, but we are happy to know that we can still provide a hot meal and comfortable bed while also reassuring them that we are following the safest protocols we can offer. Their needs and anguish are no different and our mission is stronger than ever before.
Our House Operations staff remains minimal with some working from home to maintain safe operations. To our dismay, our dedicated volunteers are kept at bay until we move onto the latter part of Phase Three. At this point, we expect that to be late September. We align with the hospital’s guidelines, therefore the UVM Medical Center’s volunteers may not return until September or October as well. As a result, our Ronald McDonald Family Room is closed until further notice.
We continue to ask for gift cards to grocery stores while Lisa Nagle prepares fabulous meals for our guests. Our beloved “Guest Chefs” also continue to be on hold until we reach Phase Four of our Reinstatement Plan. Please check out our wish list if you would like to help.
We thank you for your patience and continued support. We encourage you to stay strong and support each other and continue to move forward. “Today is all you have. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just do the best you can right now. One day, one moment at a time.” Akiroq Brost
June 29, 2019
We are delighted to report that the reinstatement plan for our Ronald McDonald House has been approved by RMHC Global! As mentioned previously, this is a four phase plan with very strategic criteria. We will proceed with caution and open our doors to a limited number of families beginning July 6th.
Since we began outlining the framework for safe and sequential reinstatement of program operations, we have been strategic also knowing that the trajectory of COVID-19 was-and still is today-largely unknown. We have had to balance the need to move forward with mission delivery with the incredible amount of uncertainty that still exists…and the knowledge that the progress we see one day in terms of limiting the spread of the virus could quickly change overnight.
And…beyond the uncertainty of COVID-19, the entire world is seeing social inequities. All of this news is incredibly sobering—and, it serves as a stark reminder of our need to continue to be vigilant in our work to limit the spread of the virus within our Ronald McDonald House program and more importantly, to be kind to one another as we face these challenges. As more of the world begins to reopen, it is clear that we are months-if not years- away from a return to “normal”. The reinstatement framework is just the beginning and ultimately our success is protecting staff and families as we move forward to deliver our mission…and provide care and support to sick and injured children and their families in the safest way possible…
JUNE 10, 2020
As you are aware, we at have spent the past few months finding new and innovative ways to continue the RMHC mission during the COVID-19 crisis.
Across the world chapters were confronted with the difficult realities that came with temporary suspension of programs including Family Rooms, Care Mobiles and admitting guests to Ronald McDonald Houses. Throughout that time, we have maintained our focus on the safety of guest families at our Ronald McDonald House program, staff and community…
Our reinstatement plan has been submitted to our partners at RMHC Global, and once approved, we can begin our multi-phased approach to first re-opening the House and eventually all other programs.
Things will look different for a while, and we will all adapt to a new normal that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of all parties. We will begin by admitting a limited number of families at a time back to the House. We will continue to work closely with our Board of Directors, UVM Medical Center, local health authorities and RMHC Global to ensure we are taking every
precaution to protect the children and families we serve and our team that serves them. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We will continue to keep you updated as we move forward through the various phases of program reinstatement.
During Phase one of our four phase process a limited number of guest room will be open, accompanied by a robust set of procedures designed to protect families and staff to the greatest extent possible; including heightened cleaning and disinfection protocols, social distancing measures, wellness checks and use of personal protective equipment. During the early phases of re-opening, common areas will not be in use. The kitchen will be closed to guests and volunteer guest cooks will not yet be permitted back.
So now you may ask, how can I help? We would love to have grocery gift cards and restaurant gift cards to buy meals and offer our guests the level of hospitality we strive towards. In the first phases of the reinstatement plan, limited staff will return to work in the office. Eventually… (we can’t wait!) we will welcome back limited volunteers for project-based opportunities.
Our final phase looks much like the program operations that we know, love and look forward to; with a new layer of procedures we all will learn and implement for the foreseeable future. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience as we navigate these uncharted waters and
establish protocol and plans that will keep everyone safe.
Throughout this crisis, we have seen an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement from our community, which has helped fuel us during this difficult time. Thank you for your ongoing support as we begin this next chapter of mission delivery and continue to provide exceptional care for our families.
We have missed you all and look forward to seeing you again!
MARCH 30, 2020
DUE TO HOSTING SOME OF THE MOST MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE CARE, ALL PROGRAMS HAVE CLOSED AND VOLUNTEER OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED
Unique times call for unique partnerships – and we believe you are a vital partner to the families that we serve at the Ronald McDonald House! As we work together as a community to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible, RMHC of Burlington, VT remains committed to our mission to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Families rely on us to provide daily essentials and safe housing near their hospitalized child. And when there’s a crisis, our support is even more crucial in providing families with a sense of hope and stability in their already challenging lives. There is no higher priority for RMHC and our partners in the community than working as hard as we can to provide families with the highest quality care and a home-away-from-home.
We understand this is a challenging time for everyone and we believe challenging times provide opportunities for heroes to step up and support children who are hospitalized. Thank you for being a hero and standing with us during these challenging times. Without partners like you, we literally cannot do what we do. We truly appreciate your partnership in supporting families of seriously ill children.
We cannot do it without you. Please make a gift today.
Be our hero…
With Gratitude,
Kristine Bickford
Executive Director
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