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We’re back and stronger together!
We are pleased to announce that we have received approval from RMHC Global to move forward and begin the process of admitting new families into Ronald McDonald House New Orleans. This will be a phased approach, and we will begin by admitting a limited number of families in a three-day window. So get those referrals in! Reopening is being accompanied by a robust set of procedures designed to protect families and staff to the greatest extent possible, including heightened cleaning and disinfection protocols, social distancing measures, wellness checks and use of personal protective equipment.
We will continue to work closely with our Board of Directors, partner hospitals, local health authorities and RMHC Global to ensure we are taking every precaution to protect the children and families we serve and our team that serves them. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We will continue to keep you updated as we move forward through the various phases of program reinstatement.
Summer 2020
Ronald McDonald House New Orleans has been temporarily closed to families since mid-March when we closed for a termite fumigation and remained closed during the outbreak of COVID-19 in New Orleans. On a much larger scale, RMHC Global, who licenses all RMHC programs, suspended the admittance of any new families to ALL RMHC programs throughout the RMHC system on March 22. On May 2 RMHC Global introduced to chapters like RMHC-SLA, extensive guidelines for a phased approach to reopening with reinstatement of program operations contingent on approval by the global organization. Since that time we have been completing the plans and procedures necessary to ensure we are aligned with all RMHC COVID-19 requirements and prepared for reopening.
To the best of our knowledge Ronald McDonald House program activities are seen as an essential service within the continuum of medical care for children, and there has been staff or security on site 7 days a week, although the majority of staff have worked from home throughout this time.
Once our program has been approved for reopening to families, we will begin by admitting a limited number of families at a time. This will be accompanied by a robust set of procedures designed to protect families and staff to the greatest extent possible, including heightened cleaning and disinfection protocols, social distancing measures, wellness checks and use of personal protective equipment.
RMH New Orleans has 15 guest rooms with 5 shared bathrooms. Because of this, we will operate at a 33% capacity (5 rooms with 1 assigned bathroom per room) throughout phases 1-3 to ensure that social distancing is possible and to limit overlap in the guests’ use of the space.
No new families will be allowed to be admitted for 14 days, after which we hope to move to Phase 2 which is another 14 day period. At that time, if approved we will move to Phase 3 for a 28 day period. At any time if there is a PUI or COVID-19 positive test among staff or families, those PUI or COVID-19 families are not allowed to remain at the house, and no new families are allowed to be admitted for a two-week period.
Coronavirus Update – May 13
We have good news! Our Giving Tuesday Now campaign was a great success, thanks to over 90 supporters like you who gave much needed donations to our food pantry and house operations. We raised over $17,000 total (117% of our goal)! We were so inspired by the generosity displayed last week that we created a 2-minute video of highlights from Tuesday to demonstrate our gratitude.
Coronavirus Update – May 4
Extraordinary challenges call for extraordinary action.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters around the world have stepped up in incredible ways to support their communities, help families in need, and care for frontline workers.
And now, we’re calling on you to take an extraordinary, but simple, action, too!
May 5 is #GivingTuesdayNow, a new global day of giving in response to COVID-19. Right now, we’re inviting our most important supporters — including you — to help us get a head start on meeting our chapter’s $15,000 goal. Check out this video announcement from Board President Cheryl Egan and Board VP Paul Tuennerman that will be shared on our social media feed May 5 at 8 a.m.
By giving, you’ll set a powerful example for others to follow and provide crucial support to RMHC-SLA. More than that, you’ll change lives. Gifts can be made online on our website, through our Facebook fundraiser, or by mailing a check to RMHC-SLA at 4403 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. No matter how much or how often you are able to give, every gift is appreciated and will help support House operations so we may fulfill our mission of providing compassion, comfort, and care to children and their families.
Coronavirus Update – May 1
As we begin the month of May, it seems an eternity since life was “normal” and simply being together a common occurrence. I imagine that no one affected by COVID-19 — and we have all been touched one way or the other – will soon take for granted the simple pleasures of spending an afternoon with friends or family, or enjoying a meal in one of our local restaurants, once things progress to a new normal.
We invite you to join us on May 5, designated #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of generosity and unity, a day for community members to come together and give back in response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. While respecting the current stay at home order, we’ve planned a day of Facebook live events, interspersed with a food drive from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during which we hope to replenish our food pantry, which has remained empty since a pallet of food was delivered to Second Harvest Food Bank when the Ronald McDonald House New Orleans closed for its termite fumigation back in mid-March.
How can you support RMHC-SLA on Giving Tuesday Now?
1) Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter on May 5 and share our #rmhcsla posts and videos on your own social media channels. Create your own message of support for Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana in a video post and be sure to tag #rmhcsla
2) Consider a one-time donation of any size or set up a monthly donation amount through our website. No matter how much or how often you are able to give, every gift is appreciated and will help support House operations so we may fulfill our mission of providing compassion, comfort, and care to children and their families.
3) Participate in our Food Pantry drive by delivering items on our Wish List to Ronald McDonald House New Orleans, on Tuesday, May 5, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. A staff member will be there to accept your items on the front porch since the house is temporarily closed.
An Amazon wish list is also available at bitly.com/rmhcslawishlist for those who prefer to shop online. Gift cards to restaurants or fast food restaurants may also be mailed to RMHC-SLA, 4403 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. These will be distributed to families whose children are hospitalized.
4) Hold your own fundraiser for RMHC-SLA virtually. Our traditional avenues of revenue have been severely impacted due to COVID-19 while the need for our programs and services remains.
We want to hear from you so give us a call, drop us a line, and join us virtually on Giving Tuesday Now, on May 5 on your preferred social media channel.
Coronavirus Update – April 6
We are beginning another week in our new reality with COVID-19…or as we like to think of it, we are one week closer to the end of the pandemic and brighter days ahead. Here in New Orleans we’ve hung a banner at the Ronald McDonald House that recognizes we are Stronger Together by Being Apart. While none of us knows how long it may take before we can reopen the House, we continue to press forward in fulfilling our mission of providing programs that give compassion, care and support to children and their families.
Thanks to donors like you, we’ve been delivering personalized note cards with restaurant/fast food gift cards to social workers for distribution to families at Children’s Hospital, Ochsner Medical Center, and Ochsner Baptist Hospital. We are staying in close contact with our medical partners throughout this pandemic, because as you know, when there’s a crisis, support is even more essential, providing families with a sense of relief and stability in their already challenging lives.
Want to join us in this endeavor? Gift cards can be ordered online and shipped to RMHC-SLA at 4403 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119.
Coronavirus Update – March 30
Gift cards got delivered to families this week at partner hospitals, Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Ochsner Medical Center thanks to the generosity of RMHC donors! Thanks for helping us pass on the love! Help our families who need your support! Donate now!
Coronavirus Update – March 23
The health and well-being of our guest families, staff and the communities in which we serve remains our highest priority. I hope this latest update finds you doing all right as we navigate this unprecedented global crisis. for more info
Coronavirus Update – March 19
With Ronald McDonald House New Orleans temporarily closed, we’re donating our food pantry items to Second Harvest Food Bank. Let’s make sure we help one another during this unprecedented crisis.
Coronavirus Update – March 17
With the increased risk for exposure to COVID-19 in the New Orleans area, we have temporarily closed Ronald McDonald House New Orleans. All families have either returned to their hometowns or received accommodations elsewhere, thanks to community partners like Magnolia Hotels – New Orleans. Fortunately, our occupancy was low as we had been planning a house closure next week for termite fumigation/tenting.
At this time we ask that you refrain from ordering/shipping items to the House. All staff members are presently working remotely. Thank you, and stay safe!
Coronavirus Update – March 15
Thank you for caring about our families’ well-being. There is nothing we take more seriously than the health and safety of our families, staff and volunteers. We have been actively monitoring the threat of COVID-19 since February to ensure that our practices and procedures are aligned with those recommended and being instituted by medical and other professionals at the local, state and federal levels.
Last week following the report of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New Orleans, we closed Ronald McDonald House New Orleans to visitors, and suspended non-essential volunteer activities.
Since then, we have had to make the difficult decision to limit the number of guests eligible to stay at the Ronald McDonald House and on Friday suspended ALL volunteer programs, including our Meals From the Heart program. We are presently contacting groups on the calendar and encouraging them to provide catered meals or donations to cover the meal.
As you can imagine, limiting the number of people our families encounter is an important part of infection control. We especially want to keep all immune-compromised guests as healthy as possible and focused on their family’s current healthcare journey.
We are doing our best in terms of cleaning and ensuring our facilities are sanitized, but with shared, community bathrooms, there is a chance that guests of RMH New Orleans will be exposed to one other’s germs.
Providing families with meals has long been an important component of the Ronald McDonald House program, and with your help, we will continue to provide meals during this health care crisis.
Help feed our families during COVID-19
Please consider a donation of the following:
Visa Gift Cards of any amount that may be used for meals Gift Cards to local retailers (Winn-Dixie, Rouses, Walmart, etc) Monetary donations of any amount – go here to donate
Pantry items – available here – or on our Amazon wish list – so families can cook for themselves/snack while at the House.
Please contribute today so we can continue to provide meals and keep the house sanitized. We know we will get through these difficult days. But until we do, we need to keep COVID-19 out of RMH New Orleans.
Coronavirus Update – March 12
Given that there are now confirmed cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in New Orleans and following new visitor policies at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, we have made the difficult decision to limit the number of guests that will be eligible to stay at the Ronald McDonald House over the next few weeks.
The maximum number of adults we will accept is two primary care givers. We would prefer to not have any children stay at the moment, but if there is no child care for siblings, then we will admit them. We would also strongly prefer not to admit out-patients or children who have compromised immune systems. We are doing our best in terms of cleaning and ensuring our facilities are sanitized, but with shared, community bathrooms, there is a chance that guests of RMH New Orleans will be exposed to each other’s germs.
We are conducting expanded health screenings on all guests and no one who has had a fever or symptoms of the flu or coronavirus within a 24 hour period of their request will be admitted.
We have also suspended all volunteer programs at the moment, including our Meals From the Heart program. We are asking groups who were scheduled to cook for our families to either cater a meal or make a donation so we can cater a meal for our families. We are hoping to continue our programs to the greatest extent possible while limiting the potential risk to guests or staff of exposure to COVID-19.
Coronavirus Update – March 10
The team at Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHC-SLA) is closely monitoring developments with the Coronavirus with our first priority being the health and safety of the families we serve, our staff and volunteers. Based on recent developments and assessments set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local state departments and health ministries, it is clear that circumstances are changing at a rapid pace. As new cases of COVID-19 are reported, questions and concerns grow, and we continue to evaluate the path we need to take at Ronald McDonald House New Orleans.
Background
Ronald McDonald House New Orleans follows the RMHC Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines, disseminated by our global organization, and which were developed by The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
In addition to standard precautions which we follow year round: hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces, cough etiquette, etc.) we revised our qualifying (health screening) questions a month ago to address the Coronavirus, and continue to modify the statement as news unfolds.
Any families who answered yes would not be able to stay at Ronald McDonald House New Orleans, and anyone sick with the Coronavirus would be instructed to go the hospital for treatment.
It is important to note that we always screen guests for infectious diseases (which includes colds, flu, and respiratory illnesses). If someone has had a fever within the last 24 hours, we cannot admit them to the House. If someone has been ill or becomes ill in the House, they are asked to limit their contact with other guests and are given masks to wear.
In the past three weeks we have also increased wiping down door handles, light switches, etc. and have increased the number and proximity to hand sanitizers.
Volunteer cooking groups are also asked to cancel their visit if they are feeling sick, etc.
On 3/10, we suspended tours of the House and non essential volunteer activities to reduce possible exposure for our families. Access is limited to guest families, staff, and essential volunteers. Volunteer groups who prepare meals as part of our Meals From the Heart program have been asked to take extra precautions when cooking – wearing gloves, and making sure that anyone who feels ill does not come.
We remain in close contact with medical experts at our local hospitals to assure that we align our practices with theirs. If at such time we deem it necessary to stop volunteer cooking groups from cooking onsite for our Meals from the Heart programs, we will do so.