Tell Me A Story: THE WELCOME MAT

Marcia Norwood
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

TELL ME A STORY

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/

THE WELCOME MAT

Ronald McDonald House near Loyola University Medical Center became our "home away from home" for my daughter, Faith, and I, over the years when Faith had treatments and surgeries at the Shriners Hospital in Chicago.

Shriners at the Ararat Shrine Center in Kansas City, Missouri, sponsored our travel expenses (flights and ground transportation) from Kansas City to Chicago, and all Faith's medical expenses.

We have insurance, but never received a bill for a co-pay from the Shriners Hospitals. Shriners Hospitals treat children regardless of their ability to pay...whether they have insurance or not.

Shriners Hospitals for Children

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/

Our Precious Friend and Nurse at Shriner's Hospital Chicago with Faith. Copyright 2009 Marcia Norwood

Marissa examines Faith at Shriner's Hospital CHICAGO. Copyright 2010 Marcia Norwood

The Welcome Mat

My previous blog, "RIVER BIRCH," contains beautiful photographs and information about Ronald McDonald House near Loyola University Medical Center. The house is decorated like an English manor: something out of the pages of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, The Secret Garden.

Tell Me A Story: RIVER BIRCH

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/2013/10/river-birch.html

Ronald McDonald House Near Loyola, Chicago

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

https://www.facebook.com/RMHLoyola

Faith and I saw first-hand The Welcome Mat, a breakthrough brand campaign and fundraiser that VALENTI Advertising Design Ideas created for Ronald McDonald House Charities (R), Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana, during one of our stays at RMH Loyola, in 2010.

"The Welcome Mat campaign

has drawn interest from all over the country,

and significantly enhanced the understanding

and impact our charity has

on the community and families we serve."

Doug Porter,

RMHC(R)-CNI Chief Executive Officer:

Welcome mats with messages of LOVE, HOPE, CARE and COMFORT reinforce Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana's commitment to provide families a home away from home while their children are treated at nearby hospitals.

"Our idea was to use a welcome mat as both a core brand icon

as well as a unique and meaningful fundraising tool.

Great branding ideas are simple.

What's important is what you do

to make it relevant, powerful and memorable."

"We offer our clients

a wide range of marketing needs

from identity to business materials,

from print to TV,

from websites to developing online social networks."

Mike Valenti

President and Creative Director

(Chicago-based) VALENTI Advertising Design Ideas

www.valentiadv.com

The mats are 100% natural coconut fiber, and sold for a $50 donation. They were offered for sale at supporting events and online.

Money raised helped build the world's largest Ronald McDonald House in Chicago, which opened in June 2012. It's known as "Skyline Oasis."

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2010/11/01/lets-take-a-look-at-streetervilles-new-ronald-mcdonald-house.php

Faith and I were some of the first visitors to visit a model of a proposed room at the new Skyline Oasis, (RMH on Grand in Chicago), that was built in the attic of the RMHouse in Loyola.

Skyline Oasis opened on June 26, 2012.

Ronald McDonald House

Grand Opening

June 26, 2012

CLICK on the link or COPY & PASTE the link in your browser:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Ronald-McDonald-House-near-Lurie-Children-s-Volunteer-Newsletter.html?soid=1102808931335&aid=jNm-cj7vVbg#LETTER.BLOCK10

After years of thoughtful space planning, tireless fundraising, and good ol' fashioned hard work, Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children's opened on a bright and cheerful summer's day this past June (2012) with a week of celebratory opening receptions and Open Houses. Friends of the House gathered across the street for a formal ceremony which including speeches from Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith and his wife MaryAnne, McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner and many others topped off by an uplifting performance from Soul Children of Chicago singing "The Future's Up to Me and You".

Tears of joy, gratefulness and hope were shed as our VP of Operations, Mary Agnes Laguatan, thanked all who made this House possible and reflected on what an amazing gift this House gives to families in medical crisis. Finally, little Max Herrick concluded the ceremony by cutting the ceremonial ribbon along with his good friend, Ronald.

The word "thank you" does not do justice to the humble gratitude RMHC-CNI would like to express to our volunteers, friends and donors who made this day possible. We hope that everyone associated with the building of this beautiful House feels a great sense of pride in knowing that we are able to House 75 families each and every night.

Congratulations to Doug Porter, RMHC(R)-CNI Chief Executive Officer, and the volunteers and leaders of Ronald McDonald House, Chicago, on opening Skyline Oasis, and thank you for each of the RMHouses in the Chicago and Northland Illinois area.

Folks at RMH serve others in a beautiful way - just as their welcome mats say: with love, hope, care, and comfort.

RMH (Loyola) was a sweet refuge for my daughter and I, as we prepared our hearts and minds for her multiple medical challenges.

Guests at RMH are invited to write their stories and comments in journals in each room. These stories encourage and inspire others who stay in their "home away from home" at RMH.

I wrote Faith's story in one of the journals.

I also suggested that RMH (with the guests permission) publish a book or series of books with stories from the RMH journals that are written by guests.

I would be blessed to help with a RHM Book Project: a STORYTELLER GIFT BOOK.....STORIES that ENCOURAGE and INSPIRE...with stories written by guests at Ronald McDonald House.