{ Board of Directors } { Staff }

{ Staff }
Marcie Lewis, Executive Director
Megan Priester, Guest and Volunteer Services Manager
Margie Kindel, Interim Director of Development and Marketing
Dani Correll, Office Manager
Shirley Miller, Weekend Manager
Randy Pierman, Weekend Manager
Bob Harding, Weekend Manager
Kelsey Cheyne, Weekend Manager
Jennifer Welkoske, Weekend Manager
Kelle Bergers, Housekeeper
{ Board of Directors }
Chairman Dennis Roudi, Fifth Third Bank
President Rodney Prahl, Independent Bank
Vice-President Brian Moore, Legacy Trust
Treasurer Scott DeKock, STS Transportation LLC
Secretary Meg Derrer, Aquinas College
Kirk Bart, Spectrum Health, Renucci Hospitality House
Maureen Bednarek, Metro Health
Keith Berg, Berg Management McDonald’s
Dustin Braunreiter, Neonatal Associates, HDVCH
Jackie Bultman, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
John DeBlaay, Dan Vos Construction
David DeVries, Builders Buying Group
Frank DiLeo, McCain Foods
Kim Krause, WZZM 13
John Lowery, Applied Imaging
Mike Lutz, Northwestern Mutual Investment Svs.
Kirk Morgan, Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge
Ryan Reardon, Lakeshore Staffing/McDonald’s
John Ritch, Grand Valley State University
Michael Rodewald, EKAM, Inc.
Jeff Rush, Raymond James & Associates
Arthur Scott, JAAR, Inc. McDonald’s
Clara Shelton, C&J Enterprises/McDonald’s Restaurants
William Van Harken, Forest View Hospital
The ronald mcdonald house of western michigan appreciates the support
provided by the following companies in publishing this annual report:
1323 Cedar Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 776-1300 – www.wmrmh.org
printer: holland litho, Holland, mi.
photography: Kirstin Anne Photo, www.kirstinannephoto.com
ronald mcdonald House cHARITIES
{
}
executive DIRECTOR letter
Greetings
Before we get down to business in this year’s
annual report, I wanted to first make your
acquaintance and tell you a little about
myself. I am thrilled to be serving as the
new Executive Director of the Ronald
McDonald House, supporting an organization
that helps so many families.
Throughout my career, I spent my time in
the service of three wonderful non-profit
organizations: 20 years as the president
and CEO of the Grand Rapids Public Library
Foundation and six years at the American
Red Cross. During my time with the Library
Foundation and the American Red Cross,
I designed and implemented various
fundraising programs and capital campaigns
that produced more than $17.5 million in
revenue for the two organizations, including
securing a $3.3 million endowment for the
Library Foundation. Most recently, I came
from the Metro Health Foundation, where
I was a Major Gifts Director.
So, I am absolutely honored and fortunate
in my career to be able to serve yet another
non-profit organization with such an
admirable mission: to help families of seriously
ill children. I look forward to using my
strengths in the areas of fundraising and
community outreach in support of the House.
The theme of this year’s annual report is Strength in Numbers. We chose that theme this year for a number
(no pun intended!) of reasons, but mostly, because that very phrase reflects just how we are able to operate
and open our doors to hundreds of families in need – 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. We rely on the support
of many to do it.
In the following pages, you will experience some of the very numbers that go along with the stories of our
House, such as the number of donors who came together to make our new playscape possible and the
number of wonderful volunteers who make a difference in our guests’ lives each day; or, even the number
of miles one family traveled for their son, who was facing his own health crisis.
Finally, that brings us to one more important number: 22. As in, the Ronald McDonald House of Western
Michigan is now 22 years old. And, as with any house that is 22 years old, there is definitely some wear-andtear. As you know, we wrapped up the final leg of our 17-guest room renovations last year with the support
of major donors. In 2013, we will be embarking on a capital campaign to continue our expansion, as well as
to support our efforts to complete other guest-centered renovations in our common areas and exterior.
We continue to operate with a near-capacity census in 2012, which is also reflective of the major healthcare
expansion taking place in our community during the past five years. We are also operating under a new
strategic plan for 2013 – 2014, and are working toward greater collaboration with our partner hospitals and
the McDonald’s family to better meet the needs of the community and our guest families. Most of all, we will
continue to be prudent in the stewardship of our resources and in the management of our operations.
Stepping in as Executive Director just recently, I am still getting to know all that is the Ronald McDonald
House of Western Michigan. However, even in my short tenure, I had some time to reflect on the organization,
and who we serve. What struck me most is that a health crisis is something of a Great Equalizer. It can
happen to any family, at any time. At the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan, we are here to
serve EVERYONE – all in a caring, supportive environment that these families need, anytime they need us.
Again, we thank you on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan for your support this past
year. You are not just a number to us, but part of the fabric of the Ronald McDonald House community that
when woven together makes us strong – and gives strength to so many who need it.
Sincerely,
Marcie Lewis
Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan
By the Numbers
{
guest spotlight
}
Food for Thought: Cade’s Story
For Cade, severe acid reflux as an infant led him to negatively associate food with pain. When he
started the program, he would eat around 10 foods, sometimes going on months-long “jags” of
one item – like a frozen waffle – for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As a result, he was beginning to
experience growth and developmental delays. For Laurie and Chad, this program was their last
hope before resorting to a feeding tube for their son.
Miles Traveled: 1,325+
Weeks Stayed: 10
Snowmen Built: 2
1,325 miles.That is how far five-year-old Cade and his
parents, Laurie and Chad Durrell, traveled from their home
in Vero Beach, Florida to spend more than 10 weeks in the
Intensive Feeding Program offered through Helen DeVos
Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s also how
they found themselves at the Ronald McDonald House of
Western Michigan.
The Intensive Feeding Program through Helen DeVos
Children’s Hospital is one of approximately 20 of these
programs in the country, and the only intensive feeding
program in Michigan. Because of its intensive nature, the
program only accepts a small number of patients for each
six- to eight-week session. The waiting list is long – in Cade’s
case, a year and a half – and parents will drop everything
when they get the call that they’ve been accepted.
The Intensive Feeding Program helps children who have
complete food refusal or who severely restrict the number
of foods they will consume – as was the circumstance with
Cade – relearn to eat. For any parent who has struggled
with a “picky” eater, this is not that. Children with feeding
issues are so limited in what they eat, their development
can become delayed and their growth stunted.
The Intensive Feeding Program is housed at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Each day,
Cade ate his meals with a therapist while his parents and doctors observed from behind a
two-way mirror. The process of just getting him introduced and accepting of another food
item can take several meals over several days. By the end of the in-patient portion, the goal
is to give parents strategies to continue therapy at home.
Chad and Laurie got the call that Cade was accepted to the program, and would start the day after
Christmas. Chad was going to stay in Florida with their daughter, Kylee, while Laurie and Cade
packed their bags – and their winter gear! – to make the trip to Grand Rapids. They needed a place
close to the hospital for their extended stay and were referred to the Ronald McDonald House.
The House was the perfect place for both of them. For Cade, it was a place he could unwind
after long days of therapy and just be a kid, and for Laurie, it was a place that offered home-like
comforts and security. And despite a rather mild winter, Cade even built his first-ever snowman.
“The Ronald McDonald House was wonderful to us,” said Laurie. “We arrived and were
greeted so warmly. I felt immediately comfortable, cared for and secure. The shuttle van that
provided us with the transportation to and from the clinic was such a blessing, too –
especially considering my inexperience driving in snow!”
Laurie and Cade stayed at the House for 10 weeks while he completed the program. He is
continuing to make great progress at home, and is now on to more than 30 different foods.
“We are so happy that Cade is now getting the proper and balanced nutrition he so needed,”
said Laurie. “He is eating from all the food groups and getting veggies, milk and protein.
As a result, he has already grown in inches and weight since we returned home last March.”
{
McDonald’s Owner / Operator Spotlight
}
Billions Served: Ryan’s Story
17,000 Egg McMuffins. That is how many of these tasty and iconic breakfast
sandwiches the 19 McDonald’s franchises that make-up the Lakeshore Partnership –
owned and operated by Holland resident, Randy Price – serves each week.
But for the Price family, giving the West Michigan community its Egg McMuffin
and Big Mac fix is only part of the story. The rest of it reflects their desire to use the
19 McDonald’s restaurants as a means to give back – to the local towns in which they
reside, and to the West Michigan community as a whole.
In fact, this is how Ryan Reardon, Randy’s son-in-law and a multi-store supervisor
for Lakeshore Partnership, came to serve on the board of directors for the Ronald
McDonald House of Western Michigan. Ryan has been training for five years to
become a second-generation McDonald’s Owner / Operator, and carrying on his
father-in-law’s and McDonald’s commitment to community involvement is not a
responsibility he takes lightly.
He remembers one of those times when he went to drop something off at the House,
a young guest left a special impression upon him. Eight-year-old Hamzah was from
Iraq and was staying at the House while he was being fitted for prosthetic legs at Mary
Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Unable to speak English, Hamzah saw Ryan and
gestured to him and then back to the X-Box. Ryan knew exactly what he wanted to do.
So that quick errand Ryan had originally intended soon turned into a three-hour X-Box
session that Ryan – and surely Hamzah – will never forget.
For Ryan, the House means that and so much more to the families who need it:
“I have two small children myself, and I can’t imagine the heartache and struggle
some of these families are facing. The mission of the Ronald McDonald House
is really something, and I am just honored to support it as long as I can.”
By the Numbers
Since joining the board in 2010, Ryan sits on multiple committees, including Special
Events and Fund Development, while also finding time to help with other needs.
Lakeshore Partnership West Michigan
Locations: 19 restaurants
Egg McMuffins Served Each Week: 17,000
Years on the Board: 2
X-box Hours Spent with House Guests: 3
Number of New Plants: 78
Bricks used: 181
Sounds of Laughter and Excitement: LOTS
By the Numbers
New Play Features: 4
{
donor spotlight
Child’s Play: The Story of the
Harold Brander Sr. Playscape
and Family Garden
}
135 area businesses and donors. That is how many local interests that came together
to build a new playscape and family garden at the Ronald McDonald House of Western
Michigan. The project actually started with one special person: Harold Brander, Sr.,
owner of Kutsches Hardware in Grand Rapids and a longtime supporter of the House.
Harold kicked off the project with a lead gift of $10,000. Other donations from Mary
Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and individual donors soon followed, and the project
officially broke ground in August 2011.
The goal of the new Harold Brander Sr. Playscape and Family Garden was to create a
beautiful and comforting respite for families staying at the House. It also provides a
barrier-free play space and new play elements for children with physical challenges,
which many of our guest families need.
Many local businesses joined the effort by donating materials and labor to complete
the project, which was dedicated on June 9, 2012. The Playscape and Garden was
designed by local landscape architects, Chris Markham (CLM Design) and Matt Heidloff
(GMB Architecture and Engineering). Owens-Ames-Kimbell provided project management.
Many other contractors also donated to the project, including: Belden Brick, Christopher
Metal Fabricators, DJ’s Landscaping Management, Kappes Landscapes, Sinclair
Recreation, Twin Lakes Nursery, Kent Construction Companies, Superior Asphalt,
Nederveld, Mugen Construction, Advanced Excavating, Excel Electric, Crites Tidey &
Associates, S & S Sprinkling, Alro Steel Corporation, Custom Caulking, Grand Valley
Daylily Society, West Michigan Master Gardeners and Grand Rapids Gravel. New
benches and garden seating were provided by Tom Bublitz.
{
volunteer spotlight
}
Shane Snyder
‘‘
The Voices of the Next
Generation: RMHWM Youth
Advisory Board
14 young leaders. In addition to our board of directors, the Ronald McDonald House
of Western Michigan also has a special Youth Advisory Board, which is dedicated to
helping engage younger members of the community with the House’s mission. The
Youth Advisory Board is comprised of 14 students from West Michigan high schools
who are nominated to serve on the board by an advisor, teacher or relative.
By way of introduction in this year’s annual report to this special group of volunteers,
we asked them: What’s the ONE thing you wish others knew about the Ronald
McDonald House of Western Michigan?
From left to right:
Top Row: Shane Snyder, Jacob Dean, and Nathan DeVries
Middle Row: Emma Goetsch, Zoe Bruyn, Jackie Wilson, Yordanos Dessie, Rachel Belson
Bottom Row: Terquanderlyn Lawrence, Emily Schuitema, Abigail Dykema,
Toni Ferwerda, and Nicole Turek
Not Pictured: Autumn Eubank
Yordanos Fekadu
‘‘
The families being helped by this
charity could only be supported by the
amazing volunteer efforts at the Ronald
McDonald House of Western Michigan.
’’
Jacob Dean
Emma Goetsch
‘‘
I wish people simply knew that the
Ronald McDonald House exists because
there are so many caring people there
who are ready to help families.
’’
Terquanderlyn
Lawrence
‘‘
The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan isn’t just
a ‘house,’ it’s a home that gives its guests an opportunity to
put aside all the stops and limitations facing them and go
forth with the lives they were meant to have.
I would like people
to know the House is
more than a House…
it is a home!
’’
‘‘
The Ronald McDonald House is a ‘home away
from home’. It doesn’t feel like an agency, a
hospital, or hotel. It really does feel like a home.
Nathan DeVries
‘‘
The Ronald McDonald House is a place
that provides a great community for those
living at the House…they feel more at-ease
dealing with the situations they are in.
’’
’’
Toni Ferwerda
‘‘
’’
We don’t have
hamburgers, but
we do have a
welcoming home.
’’
Rachel Belson
‘‘
I wish people knew how
many families are helped
by a single donation to the
Ronald McDonald House.
’’
By the Numbers
Donation Boxes: at nearly 300
McDonald’s restaurants
How Much Spare Change Adds Up:
$600,000 / year
Total Grants Awarded To-date: $6 million
Non-profits Supported To-date: 350+
{
partner spotlight
Introduction: The Ronald
McDonald House Charities
}
1+1+1 = 1. It is not well-known that there are actually three Ronald McDonald nonprofit organizations in West Michigan: the Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan, the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan in Lansing, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Outstate Michigan. Outstate Michigan covers the whole state
of Michigan except for Detroit and Ann Arbor, which have their own Charities Chapters. Though all are similar in name and they all share the same mission, the work of
the Houses and the Charities differ a bit. So, in recognition of the vital partnership role
the Ronald McDonald House Charities serves for the Houses, we thought it was about
time we told you a little more about it.
Did you wonder where all the change you put in the “Donation Boxes” at your local
McDonald’s goes? At nearly 300 participating McDonald’s located throughout Outstate
Michigan, the money put in these Donation Boxes goes directly to the Ronald McDonald
House Charities of Outstate Michigan. This amounts to more than $600,000 donations
collected annually.
With these dollars, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outstate Michigan finds and
supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Hundreds
of Michigan non-profits exist in support of children, and many of these need funding and
assistance. To-date, the Ronald McDonald House Charities organization has awarded
more than $6 million in grants to more than 350 area non-profits in 58 Michigan counties.
And, in 2009 it began the “RMHC Scholars” scholarship program, which has now awarded
$240,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors.
This also includes providing some monetary support to the Ronald McDonald Houses
in West Michigan and Mid-Michigan – with more than $800,000 shared with the two
houses since 2007. The funding support from the Ronald McDonald House Charities of
Outstate Michigan helps both the Ronald McDonald Houses of Western Michigan and
Mid-Michigan cover operational and program expenses each year.
To learn more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outstate Michigan,
visit their website: www.rmhcoutstatemi.org.
The Financial Report
Operating Revenue
Contributions
$148,484
26%
Investments &
Other Revenue
$44,302
8%
Grants
$85,000
15%
Events
$216,841
39%
Guest
Services
$67,932
12%
FY 2010
FY 2011
Contributions
$414,799
53%
Grants
$100,000
13%
Investments &
Other Revenue
$36,652
5%
Events
$128,014
Guest
17%
Services
$89,419
12%
Statistical Highlights
House Facts
Total number of family visits 741
Total families served
495
Average length of stay 6 days
Number of counties served 64
Occupancy rate 86%
Daily cost of a room $80 / family
Average guest contribution $20 / family
Number of miles provided by van 22,205
Volunteer service hours 8,330.75
Number of active volunteers (30 hrs +) 100
Number of shuttle drivers 41*
Number of in-house volunteers 63*
Hours presenting to school classrooms26
Household repair projects completed 260
Loads of dishes cleaned
3,149
Loads of laundry washed 4,735
Cups of coffee brewed 9,448
House tours given 1,968
Pounds of food donated 3,936
Pounds of pop tabs recycled 5,608
Beds made
6,692
Square feet of carpet vacuumed
76,868
Operation Hours
Opened Bedrooms Square footage Full-time staff Office hours 106 Meal Makers prepared 261 home-cooked meals for
RMHWM guests
48 Cookie Bakers provided 442 batches of homemade
cookies for RMHWM guests.
12 Dairy Pals made 180 drop-offs of loaves of bread,
gallons of milk, cartons of eggs and tubs of butter
to stock the House “community” refrigerator.
*Some volunteers are cross-trained as both in-house
volunteers and shuttle drivers
24/7/365
March 23, 1990
17 with private baths
19,000
4
9 am - 9 pm, Daily
Top Five Referral Counties
Muskegon
Antrim
Grand Traverse
Cheboygan
Non-Michigan
Operating Expenses
Operations
Program
Expense
$196,770
29%
78
46
34
31
30
Facilities &
Equipment
$72,841
10%
Depreciation
$81,575
12%
Fund
Development
$66,075
9%
Wage &
Benefits
$279,939
40%
FY 2010
Patient/Child Diagnosis
Neonatal 33.20%
Outpatient18.08%
Pediatric13.63%
Oncology/Hemotology 9.58%
Psychiatric 9.31%
Surgery 7.42%
Rehabilitation 2.43%
Intensive Feeding Program 2.43%
Remaining 3.91%
(Endocrinal/Diabetes, Radiology,
Neurology, Heart Center, Sleep Lab)
FY 2011
Operations
Program
Expense
$281,730
36%
Fund
Development
$69,983
9%
Depreciation
$92,035
12%
Facilities &
Equipment
$44,081
5%
Wage &
Benefits
$303,769
38%