Volunteer Opportunity Details:

Volunteers needed to staff the new Ronald McDonald House Family Room at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Volunteer would register families, keep room tidy, restock supplies, keep room usage records, monitor use of room and laundry facilities, and interact with families of hospitalized children. Volunteers would be supervised by the Family Room Coordinator.

Volunteers would be trained in both Ronald McDonald House policies and Hasbro Hospital policies. A BCI check is required (provided by Ronald McDonald House), as well as a TB screening. Immunization records are also needed for the hospital.

This opportunity is sponsored by: Providence Ronald McDonald House

This volunteer opportunity is available to the following types of volunteers Adults (26-54) Young Adults (18-25) Adults (55+) We need volunteers who are free at these times Evenings Weekends Weekdays

Contact Person: Rhonda McMichael, Program Coordinator, (401) 274-4447, (email) View all agency contacts

Address:

599 Eddy Street Providence, RI 02905 (See a map)

Directions:

From North: I95S to Exit 19 (Eddy Street). Hospital at bottom of exit. From South: I95N to Exit 18, Thurbers Avenue. Bear left off exit. At second traffic light make a right onto Eddy Street. Follow Eddy Street to Dudley Street. Hospital located at intersection of Eddy & Dudley.   Nearest Bus Stop: RI Hospital, 0 minute walk

Details where opportunity can also be performed

This opportunity can also be performed in these locations:

Cities:		Providence
Counties:		Providence
Statewide:		Available throughout all of Rhode Island

Miscellaneous Information

Handicap accessible?
	Yes
Does this opportunity provide services to low-income communities?
	Yes

5 Overall Experience   
A wonderful experience-- the Providence Ronald McDonald House is truly the house that love built.

I learned about the Providence Ronald McDonald House through my previous summers spent working at McDonald's restaurants. When I began searching for volunteer opportunities as I finished my first year of college last spring, I was very interested in learning more about the PRMH because I knew that it would be a wonderful way to acquainted with a new city, to meet new people, and to continue carrying out the McDonald's mission. The PRMH greets every member of the community with an open door; everyone feels welcome and accepted from the moment he or she comes through the door. The staff members and the volunteers enthusiastically guided me through the application process and were willing to answer all of my questions about the volunteering experience. By listening to what the volunteers said about their own experiences at the PRMH, I easily pictured myself in the role of a volunteer at the House. Even though the duties of the volunteers are different from what I had expected at first – I didn't realize that the majority of my interactions would be with the families instead of with the pediatric patients – I knew that I wanted to contribute to the very positive atmosphere at the House. While I learned quite a bit about the PRMH and its operations at a morning orientation session, it was not until I actually began volunteering that I was able to understand the emotion and the history that permeate the House. Every time I come to the House, I meet new families and my responsibilities have continued to evolve. I am amazed – every skill I gained and practiced while working at McDonald's has aided me so much in my new role as a volunteer. Whether I am cleaning guest rooms, preparing meals and desserts, describing the House to those who telephone and inquire, or interacting with the families who are staying at the House, all of these interactions have helped me to become more open and communicative. Helping others is important to me, and I try my best to contribute to the peaceful, comforting atmosphere that already exists within the House. Much like my responsibilities as a volunteer have enabled me to grow personally, it is inspiring that every volunteer is called upon to use his or her talents and to sharpen them, too, in hopes of helping someone else. The PRMH has a very welcoming atmosphere, and the staff and the volunteers are united by their willingness and desire to make a difference. I believe that anyone who shares this goal and is willing to give of himself or herself in a unique way would make an excellent volunteer. The volunteers, staff, and families who have come to stay at the Providence Ronald McDonald House have all contributed to its history and success. The PRMH celebrates its fifteenth birthday this year, and it has maintained an amazing cycle throughout that time. As the House welcomes families and eventually sends each one well, and also as volunteers come and go, adding to its force, the PRMH thrives on the love that passes through it. While the PRMH has often been described as the 'House that Love Built', love, in so many different forms, is what continues to keep it running in full circle. posted by HJHurst on September 15, 2004