Updated Off-Site Housing Complex Means Better Care for Ronald McDonald House Families

The sun shone down on the dozens of community members and Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House supporters who gathered recently to unveil the newly remodeled Off-Site Ronald McDonald House. They came to honor the donors and volunteers responsible for helping see the project to fruition. The long-term housing site, responsible for providing lodging, meals, care and support to the families of children diagnosed with critical illnesses, who spend nine or more months with the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House, was publicly unveiled this month after recent renovations, now featuring modernized updates to its interior. The satellite housing complex, which houses up to three families at a time in its two-bedroom house up front and in the rear is a duplex featuring two one-bedroom units, originally opened in 2000, according to Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House Executive Director Mike Kovack. “The housing complex is for parents whose children are undergoing cancer treatment and/or transplants, and we remodeled the Off-Site Complex and made it look newer and more modernized. We also made sure it was made easier for housekeeping and cleanliness,” Kovack said. The project in large part was completed thanks to the donations and volunteer efforts of several organizations and individuals; the most involved was Christ the King Lutheran Church in Redlands, whose volunteers provided the necessary items to restock and remodel the bathrooms in all three units and helped with demolition, cleaning, floor installation, painting and more. Rev. Wiley Smith, the head pastor of the church, was one of the many volunteers who worked on the renovations and helped celebrate the open house that day. “The work around the Ronald McDonald House in regards to children captures our imagination and our hearts. It’s a delight for us to be in partnership with the Ronald McDonald House. While we aren’t exactly world-class carpenters, we can certainly come in and do a lot of the grunt work and update the facility so that it is hospitable for those people who come to enjoy it. We’re delighted there are so many people here from various demographics who simply came to lend their hands to this project: older people, skilled people, or unskilled people, we all were in it together to accomplish a purpose, and we feel very gratified that we were able to help Ronald McDonald House achieve this beautiful restoration. We give thanks to God for the opportunity and the privilege of being able to work here,” Rev. Smith said, pointing out Larry Woolace and his colleague, Vic Haynes, for their leadership. Other donors include: Ashley Furniture, who donated new furnishings; Benjamin Moore Paint, who donated the paint; DuPont, who donated the countertops and sinks; Imad’s Decorating, who provided a discounted cost on the cabinets; InSinkErator, who donated the garbage disposals; Lumber Liquidators, who donated the flooring; New Century Concepts, who discounted the cost of the fabrication of the countertops; and Win-Dor, who donated the new windows for each of the units at a value over $10,000. The H.N. and Francis C. Berger Foundation donated $6,000 and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donated $10,000 to help cover the costs of the remodel. Kovack admitted that the necessity to shut down the home completely for nearly two months while renovations took place was difficult. “That is a challenge we face constantly. Unfortunately there are too many families and not always enough rooms.” Families preparing to move into the off-site location after its remodeling include a Japanese family whose daughter will be undergoing a heart transplant and are expected to stay in the off-site housing complex for up to 18 months. “We’re here to provide comfort and care to families of critically ill children, and our job is to keep mom and dad and siblings healthy—mentally, physically and emotionally—while they’re going through the worst time in their lives,” Kovack said. “If not for outside groups and organizations who provide their support, these expansions and remodels wouldn’t take place in a timely fashion. To be able to implement these things takes a concentrated effort from the entire community, and we are very grateful to those who showed their support and gave their time.”