Homemakers get behind Ronald McDonald House

Friday, October 22, 2010
A representative of the Ronald McDonald House, center, presents the Collect a Million Club Award to Jennifer Romalia, left, and Kim Lawrenz of Putnam County Extension Homemakers. Contributed photo

Members of the Country Bak'n Bunch Extension Homemakers Club Jennifer Romalia, Felicia Romalia and Kim Lawrenz recently received the Ronald McDonald House Collect a Million Club Award on behalf of Putnam County Extension Homemakers.

The women delivered nearly one and a half million pop tabs to Ronald McDonald House in Indianapolis in September.

After delivering the tabs and receiving the award, the members were given a tour of the Ronald McDonald House.

Many of the Putnam County Extension Homemaker Clubs donate needed items to the House and have gone as a group to RMH to prepare meals for families there.

Lawrenz said it really made them feel good to be able to see first hand the benefit that their donations were providing for others during a time of critical need.

Putnam County Extension Homemakers have been collecting tabs for several years. Lawrenz has headed up the campaign for the past three years, and stored the tabs between deliveries.

Lawrenz encourages Extension Club members and everyone in the community to continue collecting tabs to help the Ronald McDonald House but now asks those who collect to send their tabs to any of the county schools that are also supporting the cause, to help them reach the goal of joining the Collect a Million Club.

Lawrenz continues to serve as a county co-chair for Volunteer Community Support along with Jennifer Romalia.

One of the primary goals of Extension Homemaker Clubs along with continuing education and leadership development is reaching out and supporting the community through volunteerism. Individual clubs as well as the county organization assist others in numerous ways with both time and resources throughout the year.

To learn more about Extension Homemakers call or stop in the Putnam County Office of the Purdue Extension Service in the Courthouse Annex in Greencastle.

There are currently 300 Ronald McDonald Houses in 30 countries and regions.

Ronald McDonald Houses act as a home away from home so families can stay close by their hospitalized child. These Houses allow families to stay together, helping children heal faster and cope better. Ronald McDonald Houses provide over 7,200 bedrooms to families around the world each night, saving them over $257 million in hotel costs.

[edit]First house

The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1974, when former Philadelphia Eagles player Fred Hill and his wife stayed in hospital rooms while their daughter, Kim, received treatment for leukemia. The Hills opened the first Ronald McDonald House to meet the needs of families whose children were receiving long-term treatment away from home. The Hills, along with the Eagles' management and Dr. Audrey Evans, created a "home away from home" for families being treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

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