THE GOOD PLACE
Home Comforts
Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon is a soft landing for sick children and their families.
By Sarah Laing
(Above) Tammy Forrester has been proudly leading the team at Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan for almost 15 years. (Below) Ronald McDonald House offers families a place to stay for as long as their child requires medical care. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SASKATCHEWAN
When Tammy Forrester arrived for work at Ronald McDonald House on a recent winter morning, she was going about her usual routine — making coffee, saying hello to the kitchen team — when she bumped into a little boy wandering around the house, which had been fully decked out for the holiday season. “He was looking for the elf that our Family Programs person had hidden,” says Forrester. “He grabbed my hand, and we walked up our winding staircase together, because he wanted to show me all the spots he’s been looking in for the elf.”
It’s just one small moment of what life is like in the house, says Forrester. The enthusiasm with which she tells it shows the enormous privilege she feels to be working at Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan in Saskatoon as its chief executive officer.
“Every day is different, but... also the same, because we’re serving families and we’re making a difference,” she says. “They’re able to just breathe a little bit in this home we get to provide for them.”
Ronald McDonald House’s mission is to provide a “home away from home” for families with children receiving medical treatment. In Saskatoon, that often means providing a place to stay for families who have travelled many hours for their child to receive the care they need.
“While they’re under our roof, they’re fully taken care of: from meals to a place to sleep, to laundry facilities,” says Forrester. “We even have shuttle services; they can park their car and not have to pay for parking [at the hospital].”
The house is also serious about ensuring families have full bellies and a comfortable place to relax. They serve daily breakfast, pack lunches for kids spending the day at the hospital and serve home-cooked meals for dinner three nights a week. In the 34-room house, there are nine living rooms, so families have space to be together, whether that’s watching a hockey game or listening to music. “Whatever you do in your home, we do for families here,” Forrester says.
There are support programs for the siblings of kids receiving treatment, such as pet and art therapy, and Ronald McDonald House partners with other organizations to offer mental health support for any family member who might need someone to talk to during an incredibly stressful and challenging time.
In addition to helping families with the cost of an extended hospital stay for their child, including food, parking, hotels, gas and time away from work — all of which can add up quickly — Forrester says staying at a Ronald McDonald House has a benefit beyond the financial.
“It’s the hope that they can experience by sitting at the dining room table with another family that’s going through a similar journey,” she says. “Or it’s a volunteer sitting down with a mom or a grandma who needs someone to talk to. It’s that stuff that you can’t put a dollar value on that’s really the importance of the Ronald McDonald House in our healthcare system.” CAA
“Ronald McDonald House’s mission is to provide a ‘home away from home’ for families with children receiving medical treatment. In Saskatoon, that often means providing a place to stay for families who have travelled many hours for their child to receive the care they need.”
The staff and volunteers at Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan bring diverse perspectives together to support families of all backgrounds when they need it most. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SASKATCHEWAN
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(From left) Tammy Forrester has been proudly leading the team at Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan for almost 15 years; Ronald McDonald House offers families a place to stay for as long as their child requires medical care. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SASKATCHEWAN
(From top) Tammy Forrester has been proudly leading the team at Ronald McDonald House Saskatchewan for almost 15 years; Ronald McDonald House offers families a place to stay for as long as their child requires medical care. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SASKATCHEWAN
When Tammy Forrester arrived for work at Ronald McDonald House on a recent winter morning, she was going about her usual routine — making coffee, saying hello to the kitchen team — when she bumped into a little boy wandering around the house, which had been fully decked out for the holiday season. “He was looking for the elf that our Family Programs person had hidden,” says Forrester. “He grabbed my hand, and we walked up our winding staircase together, because he wanted to show me all the spots he’s been looking in for the elf.”
It’s just one small moment of what life is like in the house, says Forrester. The enthusiasm with which she tells it shows the enormous privilege she feels to be working at Ronald McDonald House Saskatoon as its chief executive officer.
“Every day is different, but...also the same, because we’re serving families and we’re making a difference,” she says. “They’re able to just breathe a little bit in this home we get to provide for them.”
Ronald McDonald House’s mission is to provide a “home away from home” for families with children receiving medical treatment. In Saskatoon, that often means providing a place to stay for families who have travelled many hours for their child to receive the care they need.
“While they’re under our roof, they’re fully taken care of: from meals to a place to sleep, to laundry facilities,” says Forrester. “We even have shuttle services; they can park their car and not have to pay for parking [at the hospital].”
The house is also serious about ensuring families have full bellies and a comfortable place to relax. They serve daily breakfast, pack lunches for kids spending the day at the hospital and serve home-cooked meals for dinner three nights a week. In the 34-room house, there are nine living rooms, so families have space to be together, whether that’s watching a hockey game or listening to music. “Whatever you do in your home, we do for families here,” Forrester says.
There are support programs for the siblings of kids receiving treatment, such as pet and art therapy, and Ronald McDonald House partners with other organizations to offer mental health support for any family member who might need someone to talk to during an incredibly stressful and challenging time.
In addition to helping families with the cost of an extended hospital stay for their child, including food, parking, hotels, gas and time away from work — all of which can add up quickly — Forrester says staying at a Ronald McDonald House has a benefit beyond the financial.
“It’s the hope that they can experience by sitting at the dining room table with another family that’s going through a similar journey,” she says. “Or it’s a volunteer sitting down with a mom or a grandma who needs someone to talk to. It’s that stuff that you can’t put a dollar value on that’s really the importance of the Ronald McDonald House in our healthcare system.” CAA