Rachel Horowitz is a member of the Publicity Committee.
One of our key partners in Carolina For The Kids is the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill. In 2012, CFTK pledged $250,000 in support of the expansion. Our donation was the first in a quest to help them raise $7.6 million and expand the House from 29 to 53 total rooms that will include long-term stay suites and end-of-life care facilities.
“The relationship between CFTK and the Ronald McDonald House is important because ultimately we are both working toward the same goal, supporting patients and families,” said CFTK finance chair Hunter Cornelius. “What makes our relationship with RMH special and unique is that we both put an emphasis on the families of the patients by making sure that they are comfortable and helping them out in any way that we can.”
Diane Hartley, a member of the RMH steering committee and CFTK board of directors, said that the expansion project took 5 years to complete, and during that time CFTK showed immense support. Through these years of planning, the committee has been able to predict the services that the new families coming into RMH will need the most.
“CFTK was the first large donation we secured toward that daunting number (7.6 million) and was significant in so many ways. It lifted the spirits of a dozen volunteers like myself,” Hartley said. “Even more importantly, it clearly demonstrated the 5-year commitment of the UNC student population.”
On November 13, the Ronald McDonald House ribbon cutting ceremony and evening gala allowed the RMH executive board and Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt to provide a tour of the expansion and to speak about its community impact.
“Over the coming years, CFTK need only visit the newly expanded RMH campus to see the challenges these families face, and the myriad ways (their) support is making life a little easier for them,” Hartley said.
The RMH executive board hopes that other facilities will emulate Chapel Hill’s efforts by expanding their own services to include more hospice spaces for children and their families. We at Carolina For The Kids will continue to work with the Chapel Hill house and expand our partnership opportunities over the next few years.
“With the new expansion, there are so many more families that will be served at the Ronald McDonald House,” said CFTK Executive Director Meagan Barger. “As a result, they will need even more volunteers than before. I hope that Carolina For The Kids will be a part of the house as we move forward and can play an active role in volunteering.”
“The relationship between CFTK and the Ronald McDonald House is important because ultimately we are both working toward the same goal, supporting patients and families,” said CFTK finance chair Hunter Cornelius. “What makes our relationship with RMH special and unique is that we both put an emphasis on the families of the patients by making sure that they are comfortable and helping them out in any way that we can.”
Diane Hartley, a member of the RMH steering committee and CFTK board of directors, said that the expansion project took 5 years to complete, and during that time CFTK showed immense support. Through these years of planning, the committee has been able to predict the services that the new families coming into RMH will need the most.
“CFTK was the first large donation we secured toward that daunting number (7.6 million) and was significant in so many ways. It lifted the spirits of a dozen volunteers like myself,” Hartley said. “Even more importantly, it clearly demonstrated the 5-year commitment of the UNC student population.”
On November 13, the Ronald McDonald House ribbon cutting ceremony and evening gala allowed the RMH executive board and Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt to provide a tour of the expansion and to speak about its community impact.
“Over the coming years, CFTK need only visit the newly expanded RMH campus to see the challenges these families face, and the myriad ways (their) support is making life a little easier for them,” Hartley said.
The RMH executive board hopes that other facilities will emulate Chapel Hill’s efforts by expanding their own services to include more hospice spaces for children and their families. We at Carolina For The Kids will continue to work with the Chapel Hill house and expand our partnership opportunities over the next few years.
“With the new expansion, there are so many more families that will be served at the Ronald McDonald House,” said CFTK Executive Director Meagan Barger. “As a result, they will need even more volunteers than before. I hope that Carolina For The Kids will be a part of the house as we move forward and can play an active role in volunteering.”