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RMHC Family Room Program
Volunteer Portal

Welcome to the RMHC St. Louis Family Room Program Volunteer Portal! First, thank you for being here and being a volunteer! Our goal is the this site to be a resource for you to refer to, especially during your volunteer shift, to keep you informed and knowledgeable about all things Family Room.

February Volunteer Information

Being on time

Please be respectful to your fellow volunteers and our guest families by being on time, if not early, to your volunteer shift! If you know you are running more than 5 minutes late, please call the on-call phone asap so we can plan things out accordingly. 

 

No one wants to be left waiting longer than they anticipated for their shift, so please show up when scheduled for :) Obviously, we completely understand that things happen (traffic, car issues, forgot your badge, etc.) so just communicate this by calling the on-call phone and letting us know! 

thank you! 

Serving Inpatient Families Only, not hospital staff

As we all know, the Ronald McDonald Family Room is here to serve families of inpatient pediatric patients within the hospital. PLEASE remember that hospital staff should not be utilizing the Family Room for their personal needs (coffee, snacks, break space, etc.). This includes security staff, EVS, nursing, etc.

 

Unfortunately, there are staff and volunteers from other departments that are using the Family Room as their break space, and that is not okay! We also understand how tempting it may be to let a kind staff person to use the RMFR ‘this one time’, however, that then opens the door for them to keep coming back.

 

Something I like to say is “Hi! Welcome to the RMFR, let’s go ahead and get the patient checked in for who you are here for.” If they have a patient name to give you, that’s great! If they say, “Oh I’m just grabbing a cup of coffee for myself.” This is the perfect opportunity to say “As a reminder, we are here to serve families of inpatient pediatric patients within the hospital. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to serve those outside of this group, but the cafeteria is located on such and such floor for you!”

 

**There may be some nurses or staff that come in and do laundry for a patient or grab a snack/coffee for a patient, and that's great too! As long as they are still letting you know who the patient family is that they are helping out so you can check them in, that is the way to go!

 

Please let us know if you have any questions about this!

Acceptance

One of Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis's values that we hope our staff, volunteers, vendors, and guests follow is Acceptance. 

  • We care for others without prejudice and value diversity.

  • Actively embracing diversity in the workplace, valuing different perspectives, backgrounds, and working styles, creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable being their authentic selves, and fostering a sense of belonging regardless of individual differences. 

  • This signifies a commitment to respecting and appreciating all volunteers and guest families without judgment, leading to better collaboration and a more positive work environment. 

Meet the Heart of the RMFR

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Courtney Fischer

Director, Family Room Program

Call: 314.400.4329

Email: cfischer@rmhcstl.org

As the Family Room, Director, Courtney Fischer oversees all of the Family Rooms, Family Room Staff, and Family Room Volunteers. She spends much of her time coordinating with our hospital partners in creating a better environment for the volunteers and guest families! When to email/call her: - As needed - When she's on-call (check the on-call schedule!)

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Courtney Bradshaw

Family Room Program Coordinator

Call: 314.400.4365

Email: cbradshaw@rmhcstl.org

As the Family Room Program Coordinator, Courtney Bradshaw recruits, onboards, trains, and does the scheduling for all volunteers at all three of our Hospital locations. She is the goto gal that communicates any hospital-specific or FR-specific information, as well as updates the Volunteer Portal. You can see her as she's filling in shifts volunteers are not able to cover! When to email/call her: - Any scheduling matter (signing up for a shift, calling out, etc.) -General questions regarding your role as a volunteer - Any communication clarification  - When she's on-call (check the on-call schedule!)

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Cierra West

Assistant Family Room Manager

Call: 314.400.4332

Email: cwest@rmhcstl.org

As the Assistant Family Room Manager, Cierra is our Monday Inventory gal, the Up-keeper of all appliances or maintenance issues, and our Meal Donation Coordinator. At the beginning of each month, she sends out surveys to any new family that entered the Family Room the previous month. You will also see her covering shifts that volunteers are not able to cover! When to email/call her: - Something with inventory is needed (snacks, towels, pens, paper) - An appliance is malfunctioning (washer/dryer, coffee pot, sink) - When she's on-call (check the on-call schedule!)

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Susan Peck

Family Room Associate

As the Family Room Associate, Susan is a great addition to our Family Room Team, working part-time. She picks up mostly evening and weekend shifts that don't have volunteer coverage, and is building strong relationships with the guest families. She is very knowledgeable about each hospital location and is a great resource to communicate with if any issues or concerns come up!

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C.J. Eichenlaub

Family Room Associate

As the Family Room Associate, CJ is a great addition to our Family Room Team, working part-time. He picks up mostly evening and weekend shifts that don't have volunteer coverage, and is building strong relationships with the guest families. He is very knowledgeable about each hospital location and is a great resource to communicate with if any issues or concerns come up!

On-Call Information

The Family Room has a really wonderful resource for volunteers to utilize, our on-call phone, since the Family Room Staff cannot be in the Family Room's 24/7! 

Us Family Room Staff, rotate who is on-call on a weekly basis. The schedule is posted below to get an idea of who you will be talking to when you call, but the on-call phone # always remains the same, regardless of who is on-call:

(314) 930-5292

With the on-call phone number, you must call when you need something because texting is not an option. When you call this #, it forwards to our personal cell phones and text messages do not get forwarded, so will not see your texts. If you don't want to call, emailing is an option:

familyroom@rmhcstl.org

Although the reasons are limitless, here is a brief list of the reasons you would call the on-call phone:

  • You are running late to your shift

  • You are calling out within 24 hours of your shift because of an illness, emergency, etc.

  • You have a general question during your shift and don't want to email

  • The Volunteer computer isn't working

  • Special Family Room family circumstances

  • An emergency

  • Family Room Family Issues

  • Etc.

On-Call Contact Info:
Call:
314-930-5292 (do not text)
Email: familyroom@rmhcstl.org

February 1-2: Cierra West

February 3-9: Courtney Fischer

February 10-16: Courtney Bradshaw

February 17-23: Cierra West

February 24-Mar 2: Courtney Fischer

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Calling the on-call phone number is the easiest way for you to get ahold of us. PLEASE leave a voicemail if prompted so we can get back to you! 

Who We Are

Ronald McDonald Family Room Program

Serving over 27,000 visitors each year, the Ronald McDonald Family Room serves as an oasis within the hospital for families where families can spend time together away from the hustle and bustle of hospital corridors, busy waiting rooms and their child’s room. The Family Room is intended to extend the comfort and support of the Ronald McDonald House, in a hospital setting. The room is open to local, as well as out-of-town, families. Together, the host hospital and RMHC are working to provide this unique service to the families of in-patients. 

Ronald McDonald Family Room Volunteer Role

As a volunteer-run program, RMFR Volunteers are here to uphold all Family Room and hospital policies, and to be supportive to the families who use the Room. Our goal is to always create a calming, home like space for all visitors that enter the Family Room.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room would not be able to serve family at the level we do with you as our volunteers. We are grateful for the time and talents that each of you give to the Family Rooms every single day!

What Family Room Families are Saying

Cardinal Glennon Family Room Family

“Thank you so much for providing this space for parents and patients. I can not thank you enough for being able to take a shower and have clean clothes without having to leave my son to take care of those things. This was truly a blessing!”

St. Louis Children's Hospital Family Room

"Having somewhere to go, just to sit for a moment of quiet, while my daughter was in the NICU is something I am very thankful for. I met so many volunteers who welcomed me in the room daily! We were lucky that our stay was only five days, but I can only imagine how important this space is for the families that have a longer journey. Thank you!"

Mercy Children's Hospital Family Room 

“The volunteers were AMAZING!!”

“Friendly and definitely nice to get to relax and have a feel of not being at the hospital.”

“This was a beautiful place to sit and get a break from being in our hospital room for hours and days”

Staying at RMHC

If you've ever wondered how can a family stay at the Ronald McDonald Houses, or maybe you've had a Family Room guest family ask you, check out the FAQ's on how to stay! These Q's and A's can also be found in the volunteer desk!

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Virtual Tours

Check out our Virtual Tours of our St. Louis Ronald McDonald Houses and Family Rooms to get a glimpse inside!

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The IMPACT You Make
October-December 2024

Numbers represent all Family Room locations combined

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