Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thirteen ten WIBA, Madison in the morning Sewan Pray well
with you, Joined in studio this morning by Stephanie Hayden.
She is a CEO at the Ronald McDonald Charity House
here in Madison.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Stephanie, how you doing this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
I'm great?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
How are you? I'm doing really good? And I've got
to guess you say you're doing great.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
You've got to love what you do. It's what a
great organization. I do.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Love what I do. We get to help families every
single day. So it's the best job. I tell people
all the time, I have the best job in the world.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
It sounds very cool.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Let's talk about I think a lot of people are
familiar with the Ronald McDonald House around McDonald charitys, but
they may not know day to day what goes on,
what is Ronald McDonald house, What actually goes on at
the at the Ronald McDonald's house.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, I often tell people what we do is very
very simple. We care for family so they can care
for their ill or injured child. So not only do
we make sure families have a place to stay whenever
their child is in the hospital, but we also make
sure they have more meals transportations and all the comfort
of home just here at our house, just down the
(00:58):
hill from the American Family Children's Hospital.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Is the building new or is it just recently renovated.
It looks it looks beautiful, looks very comfortable and new.
Is it a new building or so?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
We have been there in the same spot for thirty
almost thirty two years. We did do a renovation in
twenty nineteen it wrapped up, so it is relatively new
because of the renovation and expansion we did just a
few years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Let's talk a little bit about for families that have
experienced Ronald McDonald House and what that experience is for them,
kind of on a day to day thing. What qualifies
families to be eligible to use the house and what's
kind of the background there.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yeah, so we serve families that have an hospitalized child
at any of the area hospitals. So that's American Family
Children's Hospital, Maritor or Saint Mary's and so to qualify,
really they have to have a pediatric patient at one
of those hospitals, and ideally for the house, they need
to live thirty five miles or more away. We want
(01:55):
to make sure we're keeping families close. We know it's important.
Some of the best medicine is having loved ones nearby.
So that's really what we do.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
I think of And you know what was me when
my son was born, spending the night at the hospital.
And I know the hospitals they do a great job
for their patients and there and their family, but the
reality is it's a hospital room, it's a you know,
it's a pull out kind of situation. This really alleviates
that problem for families that are going to be spending
a significant amount of time in the area.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, it absolutely does. I mean a lot of times
families are staying with us for many nights, more than
a week, more than a month, some even more than
a year. So if you had to sleep on that
pull out couch for a long period of time, that
would be very painful. So we make sure that not
only do families have that easy place to rest their
head and comfortable place to rest their head, but also
(02:43):
all of those other things such as meals, that they
don't have to worry about anything.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Talking this morning with Stephanie Hayten, she is the CEO
of Ronald McDonald House here in Madison, and Stephanie, let's
talk about Room for Comfort campaign underway. Let's talk about
what it is and how folks can help out.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, so we are seeing record breaking need for our services.
So in twenty twenty four, our occupancy was one hundred
and ten percent. Oh, that means we were full every night.
So our thirty one rooms were full and we were
using hotel rooms. We're very lucky here in Madison. We
have wonderful hotel partners that help us house families. Whenever
(03:18):
our house is full, families still don't pay anything. They
don't pay anything to stay at the house, they don't
pay anything to stay at the hotels. And so we're
seeing this record breaking occupancy. So if it wasn't for
our hotel partners last year, six hundred and sixty nine
families would have had nowhere to stay.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Oh well, that's great to have those partners. What a
great relationship and partnership that is. So is there anything
folks could be doing to kind of take some action?
And I know, as we talk about just a great
organization and there's obviously room for folks, isn't there for help?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yes, So our Room for Comfort campaign is really helping
us ensure that we are able to provide not only
that place to stay for families, but also those all
those other amenities that I mentioned. And starting on April
twenty third, we're going to have a match. So we're
looking for donations and to help us support this Room
for Comfort campaign. So April twenty third through May third,
(04:09):
every donation will be doubled. So if you donate fifty dollars,
we have other donors that are going to match that,
so they'll donate fifty dollars, so makes your donation one
hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So folks, could they make the donation online? Is that
probably the best way of Rmhcmadison dot org.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Is that the best place to go?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
That is the best place to go. Of course, some
people don't like to donate online, so they can obviously
mail it into the house, or if they want to
just stop by our house and see what we do,
we'd welcome people to do that. But obviously our MHC
Madison dot org is the best place.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
You mentioned stopping by the house and touring or visiting
and seeing that. Could people bring you mentioned monetary donations?
Are there other areas where folks can volunteer and help out.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So we have lots of waste to volunteer. I mean,
we run a very large house, have a very small staff,
and so we got to keep it clean and neat
and tidy and all those things for our families. So
people are always welcome to volunteer. In addition, we're running
like a large household, just like all the things you
need at your own house, like toilet paper and cleaning supply.
So if people want to donate for our wish lists,
they can also find that on our website, and they
(05:10):
can donate wishless items as well.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
You know what's it's interesting as we as we talked
this morning, of course, joined by Stephanie Hayen, CEO at
Ronald McDonald House here in Madison.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I think sometimes obviously it's it's such a phenomenal organization,
so well known.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I think sometimes people think that because of that, there's
no need, there's not that those that like everything, there's
a budget, there's a need, there's there's staff, there's all
these things, and I think getting the word out that
this is something and how we started this conversation off
this week talking about how can you how can you
not be in a great mood about this, How rewarding
(05:44):
it is to help out, help out in such a
great way, to help out kids and their families be
comfortable during a really, really hard time for them.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think that's one of the great thing about our volunteers.
They'll come in saying like they leave with more than
they you know, gave, they feel like and even I
mentioned volunteers to you know, help us clean, but also
just to come in and make a meal. We have
a beautiful kitchen, would welcome folks to come in and
make a homemade meal so that those families had that
warm meal when they come home. But I think folks
who volunteer get as much out of it as they give.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Well, let's talk Stefanie about that Leo. You mentioned.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You got the big kitchen, you got the space, How
does like a little behind the curve, How does the
inner workings of the Ronald McDonald's house, what goes on
inside there?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Well, I mean, I think every day is a little
bit different, but we make sure that our families have
access to three meals a day. So one of the
things we're very proud of here in Madison is that
we take care of our families every need that they
might have and so we make sure there's three meals
a day for families. We have volunteers that come in
and make sure and make meals we send or make lunches.
We send lunches up to the American Family Children's Hospital
(06:46):
every day so that any family that has a child
in the hospital has access to nutritious, healthy meals.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Are there are there entertainment? Like I think of two
of you know, we think of and Madison. What a
beautiful city to you know, to spend time in. But
at the end of the day, sometimes you just want
to do something maybe lay low entertainment options available at
the at the at the house, like are they Netflix
or what? You know, just kind of yeah, we may.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Have the biggest collection of DVD. Sometimes it's interesting to
watch the kids walk in like what are these things
because you know they're housed to Netflix. But we have
a playroom, we have a park, we have an art room.
We have so many amenities for families. We really do
try to take care of everything that they need. We
also plan special events. Just last week we had a
bingo event. We've brought in characters, we had a Frozen night.
(07:32):
So we make sure that we have events throughout the
year as well for families, because if you have a
child in the hospital, they're not able to you know,
you know, have those opportunities, so we try to bring
it right to them.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I was and speaking of bringing things right to them,
you guys have a mobile a little bit different, and
I just I'm sorry this, but I figure i've.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Got you here. I want to ask you about.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, I've seen it's a it's like a nice trailer
that you guys bring out in some of the communities.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Like an RV.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
It's a carmobile's what we call it. It's a forty
foot pediatric clinic on wheels. It may we spends most
of its time in northern Illinois and Rock County. It
goes around to schools, community centers, does immunizations, wild checks,
really bringing care to where kids need it.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Do we forget that sometimes?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I think sometimes that we get We get very much
in our and I get it, you know, we're busy.
We forget that there are some areas that aren't as
well served here in Madison. Obviously, we are very lucky.
We've got world class institutions, We've got all these different things.
It's not too far outside of Madison. City Central. Things
do look a little different out there, don't they.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
They absolutely do. I mean, I think we're very blessed
here in Madison. We have amazing healthcare here in the
city and even in the surrounding suburbs. But if you
go just a little bit further out, they may not
have as access to as much as we do. And
we really try to bring using the car moobile, bring
care to kids to you know, reach them where they're at.
And so obviously being at schools is the best way
(08:57):
to get that care to them.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Really good data to make that, make that opportunity to
take that opportunity to head on over to the website
r m HC Maatdison dot org.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
That's our MHC Madison dot org.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
They've got the matching campaign right now with the Room
for Comfort, also opportunities you're looking to volunteer, you want
to you want to give a little bit of time,
more other ways. They've got all sorts of great stuff
up at the website r m Hcmadison dot com. That's
our MHC Madison dot org. I have to correct myself
dot org on that. Stephanie, thank you so much for
joining us this morning. And great to see you.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And again that website our MHC Madison dot org. More
of Madison in the morning. It comes your way next
right here on thirteen ten wyb A
Thirteen ten WIBA, Madison in the morning Sewan Pray well
with you, Joined in studio this morning by Stephanie Hayden.
She is a CEO at the Ronald McDonald Charity House
here in Madison.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Stephanie, how you doing this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
I'm great?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
How are you? I'm doing really good? And I've got
to guess you say you're doing great.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
You've got to love what you do. It's what a
great organization. I do.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Love what I do. We get to help families every
single day. So it's the best job. I tell people
all the time, I have the best job in the world.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
It sounds very cool.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Let's talk about I think a lot of people are
familiar with the Ronald McDonald House around McDonald charitys, but
they may not know day to day what goes on,
what is Ronald McDonald house, What actually goes on at
the at the Ronald McDonald's house.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, I often tell people what we do is very
very simple. We care for family so they can care
for their ill or injured child. So not only do
we make sure families have a place to stay whenever
their child is in the hospital, but we also make
sure they have more meals transportations and all the comfort
of home just here at our house, just down the
(00:58):
hill from the American Family Children's Hospital.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Is the building new or is it just recently renovated.
It looks it looks beautiful, looks very comfortable and new.
Is it a new building or so?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
We have been there in the same spot for thirty
almost thirty two years. We did do a renovation in
twenty nineteen it wrapped up, so it is relatively new
because of the renovation and expansion we did just a
few years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Let's talk a little bit about for families that have
experienced Ronald McDonald House and what that experience is for them,
kind of on a day to day thing. What qualifies
families to be eligible to use the house and what's
kind of the background there.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yeah, so we serve families that have an hospitalized child
at any of the area hospitals. So that's American Family
Children's Hospital, Maritor or Saint Mary's and so to qualify,
really they have to have a pediatric patient at one
of those hospitals, and ideally for the house, they need
to live thirty five miles or more away. We want
(01:55):
to make sure we're keeping families close. We know it's important.
Some of the best medicine is having loved ones nearby.
So that's really what we do.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
I think of And you know what was me when
my son was born, spending the night at the hospital.
And I know the hospitals they do a great job
for their patients and there and their family, but the
reality is it's a hospital room, it's a you know,
it's a pull out kind of situation. This really alleviates
that problem for families that are going to be spending
a significant amount of time in the area.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah, it absolutely does. I mean a lot of times
families are staying with us for many nights, more than
a week, more than a month, some even more than
a year. So if you had to sleep on that
pull out couch for a long period of time, that
would be very painful. So we make sure that not
only do families have that easy place to rest their
head and comfortable place to rest their head, but also
(02:43):
all of those other things such as meals, that they
don't have to worry about anything.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Talking this morning with Stephanie Hayten, she is the CEO
of Ronald McDonald House here in Madison, and Stephanie, let's
talk about Room for Comfort campaign underway. Let's talk about
what it is and how folks can help out.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, so we are seeing record breaking need for our services.
So in twenty twenty four, our occupancy was one hundred
and ten percent. Oh, that means we were full every night.
So our thirty one rooms were full and we were
using hotel rooms. We're very lucky here in Madison. We
have wonderful hotel partners that help us house families. Whenever
(03:18):
our house is full, families still don't pay anything. They
don't pay anything to stay at the house, they don't
pay anything to stay at the hotels. And so we're
seeing this record breaking occupancy. So if it wasn't for
our hotel partners last year, six hundred and sixty nine
families would have had nowhere to stay.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Oh well, that's great to have those partners. What a
great relationship and partnership that is. So is there anything
folks could be doing to kind of take some action?
And I know, as we talk about just a great
organization and there's obviously room for folks, isn't there for help?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yes, So our Room for Comfort campaign is really helping
us ensure that we are able to provide not only
that place to stay for families, but also those all
those other amenities that I mentioned. And starting on April
twenty third, we're going to have a match. So we're
looking for donations and to help us support this Room
for Comfort campaign. So April twenty third through May third,
(04:09):
every donation will be doubled. So if you donate fifty dollars,
we have other donors that are going to match that,
so they'll donate fifty dollars, so makes your donation one
hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
So folks, could they make the donation online? Is that
probably the best way of Rmhcmadison dot org.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Is that the best place to go?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
That is the best place to go. Of course, some
people don't like to donate online, so they can obviously
mail it into the house, or if they want to
just stop by our house and see what we do,
we'd welcome people to do that. But obviously our MHC
Madison dot org is the best place.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
You mentioned stopping by the house and touring or visiting
and seeing that. Could people bring you mentioned monetary donations?
Are there other areas where folks can volunteer and help out.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So we have lots of waste to volunteer. I mean,
we run a very large house, have a very small staff,
and so we got to keep it clean and neat
and tidy and all those things for our families. So
people are always welcome to volunteer. In addition, we're running
like a large household, just like all the things you
need at your own house, like toilet paper and cleaning supply.
So if people want to donate for our wish lists,
they can also find that on our website, and they
(05:10):
can donate wishless items as well.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
You know what's it's interesting as we as we talked
this morning, of course, joined by Stephanie Hayen, CEO at
Ronald McDonald House here in Madison.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I think sometimes obviously it's it's such a phenomenal organization,
so well known.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I think sometimes people think that because of that, there's
no need, there's not that those that like everything, there's
a budget, there's a need, there's there's staff, there's all
these things, and I think getting the word out that
this is something and how we started this conversation off
this week talking about how can you how can you
not be in a great mood about this, How rewarding
(05:44):
it is to help out, help out in such a
great way, to help out kids and their families be
comfortable during a really, really hard time for them.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
I think that's one of the great thing about our volunteers.
They'll come in saying like they leave with more than
they you know, gave, they feel like and even I
mentioned volunteers to you know, help us clean, but also
just to come in and make a meal. We have
a beautiful kitchen, would welcome folks to come in and
make a homemade meal so that those families had that
warm meal when they come home. But I think folks
who volunteer get as much out of it as they give.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Well, let's talk Stefanie about that Leo. You mentioned.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You got the big kitchen, you got the space, How
does like a little behind the curve, How does the
inner workings of the Ronald McDonald's house, what goes on
inside there?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Well, I mean, I think every day is a little
bit different, but we make sure that our families have
access to three meals a day. So one of the
things we're very proud of here in Madison is that
we take care of our families every need that they
might have and so we make sure there's three meals
a day for families. We have volunteers that come in
and make sure and make meals we send or make lunches.
We send lunches up to the American Family Children's Hospital
(06:46):
every day so that any family that has a child
in the hospital has access to nutritious, healthy meals.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Are there are there entertainment? Like I think of two
of you know, we think of and Madison. What a
beautiful city to you know, to spend time in. But
at the end of the day, sometimes you just want
to do something maybe lay low entertainment options available at
the at the at the house, like are they Netflix
or what? You know, just kind of yeah, we may.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Have the biggest collection of DVD. Sometimes it's interesting to
watch the kids walk in like what are these things
because you know they're housed to Netflix. But we have
a playroom, we have a park, we have an art room.
We have so many amenities for families. We really do
try to take care of everything that they need. We
also plan special events. Just last week we had a
bingo event. We've brought in characters, we had a Frozen night.
(07:32):
So we make sure that we have events throughout the
year as well for families, because if you have a
child in the hospital, they're not able to you know,
you know, have those opportunities, so we try to bring
it right to them.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I was and speaking of bringing things right to them,
you guys have a mobile a little bit different, and
I just I'm sorry this, but I figure i've.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Got you here. I want to ask you about.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, I've seen it's a it's like a nice trailer
that you guys bring out in some of the communities.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Like an RV.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
It's a carmobile's what we call it. It's a forty
foot pediatric clinic on wheels. It may we spends most
of its time in northern Illinois and Rock County. It
goes around to schools, community centers, does immunizations, wild checks,
really bringing care to where kids need it.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Do we forget that sometimes?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I think sometimes that we get We get very much
in our and I get it, you know, we're busy.
We forget that there are some areas that aren't as
well served here in Madison. Obviously, we are very lucky.
We've got world class institutions, We've got all these different things.
It's not too far outside of Madison. City Central. Things
do look a little different out there, don't they.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
They absolutely do. I mean, I think we're very blessed
here in Madison. We have amazing healthcare here in the
city and even in the surrounding suburbs. But if you
go just a little bit further out, they may not
have as access to as much as we do. And
we really try to bring using the car moobile, bring
care to kids to you know, reach them where they're at.
And so obviously being at schools is the best way
(08:57):
to get that care to them.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Really good data to make that, make that opportunity to
take that opportunity to head on over to the website
r m HC Maatdison dot org.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
That's our MHC Madison dot org.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
They've got the matching campaign right now with the Room
for Comfort, also opportunities you're looking to volunteer, you want
to you want to give a little bit of time,
more other ways. They've got all sorts of great stuff
up at the website r m Hcmadison dot com. That's
our MHC Madison dot org. I have to correct myself
dot org on that. Stephanie, thank you so much for
joining us this morning. And great to see you.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
And again that website our MHC Madison dot org. More
of Madison in the morning. It comes your way next
right here on thirteen ten wyb A
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