There are many things that go into the completion of an Idea Home project — from architects designing the home to contractors and vendors working together to create the perfect living space that fits the needs of a local family.
But just as important to the Idea Home project is the selection of a receiving charity, and for the 2020 Idea Home, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley was picked as the beneficiary. Started in 1988, RMHC of the Ohio Valley exists to serve families in need of a comforting place to stay during their child’s illness.
According to RMHC of the Ohio Valley Development Director Abigail Adler, it is estimated the organization saves families up to $150 a day in living expenses during their stay. And the organization looks to expand on that help with the recent opening of a home at Deaconess Gateway in Newburgh, Indiana, on Oct. 15.
“The need is great for a house here at Gateway,” says Adler. “The process to build this has been fast-tracked to help that need.”
The home at Gateway is different from other traditional Ronald McDonald houses, she adds, in that it is built within the existing footprint of the hospital, keeping families under the same roof as their children. The RMHC home at Gateway offers a total of 16 rooms of various sizes to accommodate any family’s unique needs — all carefully decorated by volunteer interior designers and individuals.
The space also includes secure storage for belongings, a large open kitchen funded by Masterbrand Cabinets of Dubois County, a full laundry room, and a section dedicated to different recreation rooms for families to relax. RMHC even installed a sensory playroom.
“The whole concept of this, every time I walk inside I almost start to cry,” says Chris Ryan, CEO of The Women’s Hospital, who volunteered to decorate the room named in her honor. “It is so overwhelming and joyful to see how the hospital in general is embracing this and wanting to be a part of it.”
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