Heart
BEATS
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2020
Record Year for the
6th Annual Red Shoe Gala Friday, October 16
On October 16, friends of Ronald McDonald House Charities kicked off their red shoes and partied from home for the 6th Annual Red Shoe Gala. The virtual evening included music, mission and fun, as we welcomed back Star Search Grand Champion Jake Simpson. Although we couldn’t all be together, we had a great time with the “Shoebox Surprise,” Virtual Photo Booth, Facebook Selfie Contest and the Adopt a Family program, raising a record $170,000+ to benefit Springfield’s two Ronald McDonald Houses and the Tooth Truck (our Ronald McDonald Care Mobile).
Round-Up for RMHC When you visit your favorite McDonald’s Restaurant, ask to “Round-Up” your total to the nearest dollar when you order. Your “round-up” amount directly benefits the families and children of RMHC.
From The
Staff Happy
Anniversary 1 YEAR Glory Ehie, Mercy House Emily Johnson, Mercy House Kathy Marshall, Mercy House Cathy Sanchez, Mercy House Kenzie Voyles, Mercy House Judy Zorn, Mercy House Hannah Braden, Cox House
10 YEARS Amy Grubaugh, Cox House
25 YEARS Jan Ricketts, Cox House
Heart of the House House Near Cox South Ann Adams Karis Agnew Brooklynn Anderson Andrew Bandelow Hannah Braden Nadean Burnett John Carr Terri Carr Nancy Clark Tammi Davis Kathy Dennis Lynelle Dock-Peck Cheryl Douglas Blake Dowdy Judy Duncan Angela Fairchild Clydene Freeman Amanda Fronzaglia Becky Gillham Shawn Gott Ashley Grady Amy Grubaugh
Dorothy Harlan Laura Harrelson Aston Heinrichs Kaya Heinrichs Olivia Heinrichs Corine Isenhower Lisa James Laura Johnson Raegan Johnston Clayton Keller Levi Kemp Caleb Kerr Becky Lang Dustin Long Peyton Long Shawn Lowery Evan Mason Eileen Meinsen Larry Meinsen Sandy Morris Roberta Osborn Karla Peck
LeRoy Peck Gretta Phillips Lerris Pierce Aidan Plank Kay Prost Beka Razor Rebecca Reser Abigail Richardson Cliff Ricketts Jan Ricketts Brenda Rosebrough Robin Rueter Timothy Schmelz Anne Schubert Debbie Slocum Randy Slocum T.J. Slocum Mary Smith Gail Sours Grace Stagner Kim Stagner Keith Steenbergen
Pamela Stout Kaden Sumter Ava Uzzell Sondra Uzzell Tristen Uzzell Janet VanGorkom Abigail Weitzel Lucy Weitzel Joanna Weitzel Scott Weitzel Travis Weitzel James Winstead Ryan Winstead Kelly Wirtz Meghan Zengel Sydney Zupan
House At Mercy Kids Anna Berry Stephanie Bube Katherine Bunch April Carmichael David Carmichael Katy Chambers Jerrica Conrad Jennie Crabbe Glory Ehie Sandy Emberton Alexis Gaono Terry Greer Ann Griesemer Shirley Hall
Renae Harrison Brenda Havens Kylee Heishman Thomas Heye Jenni Jacka Leah Jackson Trot Kinser Ami Le Hannah Le Brady Marshall Kathy Marshall Kassie Medina Madison Mickan Jianna Mills
Kiera Mills Krista Mills Rebekah Mitts Marel Morris Jordan Newman Erin Norris Caitlyn Norris Ellie Norris Tracie Nicholson Kate Okland Olivia Parks Jamie Phariss Payton Polino Cathy Sanchez
Linda Schultz Maricielo SchwartzLeon Lauren Stockam Breanna Sundet Kayla Swearengin Madeline Urhahn Will Vance Kenzie Voyles Hanna Wilken Judy Zorn
RMHC Staff Heart Beats is published monthly or bi-monthly for volunteers of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and The Tooth Truck, Inc. ©2020 RMHC The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates and are used under license: Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities logo, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, RMHC, Keeping Families Close. The Tooth Truck name and logo are owned by The Tooth Truck, Inc.
PAGE 2
President & CEO Bonnie Keller
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEAR COX SOUTH
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AT MERCY KIDS
Vice President Debbie Kinser
Program Manager Laura Winstead
Program Manager Larry Chainey
Tooth Truck Program Director Mindy Muñoz
Associate Program Manager Heather Hyde
Associate Program Manager Lacey McKeever
Project Manager Amber Price
Family Care Managers Lexi Beaman Elizabeth Bottorff Mackenzie Meyers Emily Ogle Anna Trenkamp Rebekkah Wall Sara Wilken
Development Assistant Kim Booth Administrative Assistant Debbi Gafner
Family Care Managers Haddie Beard Jacob Golden Savannah Keller Madison Mickan Jack Osborn
Volunteer Appreciation
Parade
On Friday, October 30th, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks and the Tooth Truck, Inc. celebrated volunteers at a safe distance with the Volunteer Appreciation Parade. The afternoon and evening were filled with treats and the warmth of familiar faces as each volunteer drove through the Cox House driveway to receive candy, appreciation gifts, hourly and annual volunteer awards. Additionally, volunteers who participated in The Great Pumpkin Contest saw their talents on display and each volunteer had the chance to vote on their favorite with the winner being Sondra, a volunteer from the House near Cox!
We truly were grateful to see our volunteers. Thank you for coming out and hope to see you soon!
Dinner Groups! RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEAR COX SOUTH Alpha Delta Pi Carr Family Cerner Si3 Daniela Teodosiev Downtown Rotary Dru & Friends Fremont Elementary Jack Henry Jackson Family
Just Friends Knights of Columbus Los Cabos Oak Grove Assembly of God Parkcrest Baptist Team Janet The Girlfriends Union Hill Church of Christ
OPEN DINNER DATES:
December: 1, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31
Birthdays November 5 Roberta Osborn November 6 Larry Chainey November 8 Eileen Meinsen November 11 Jan Ricketts November 13 Gail Sours November 16 Meghan Zengel November 22 Mariciello Schwartz-Leon November 23 Karis Agnew Caleb Kerr November 25 Marel Morris November 27 Abigail Weitzel November 30 Clayton Keller December 7 Cliff Ricketts December 9 Madison Mickan Linda Schultz Grace Stagner December 16 Will Vance December 17 Donna Powers December 18 Melinda Thurman December 19 Tristen Uzzell December 21 Joanna Weitzel December 24 Emily Johnson December 25 John Carr Mary Smith December 26 Kellie Wirtz December 30 Brady Marshall
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AT MERCY KIDS Ash Grove UMPC Battlefield Methodist Church Belin Family DRG Validation East Sunshine Church of Christ Houlihan’s Jordan Heinz State Farm Little Caesars Pizza
Mercy SBU College of Nursing Mercy Trauma Services MU School of Medicine Sanchez Family The Goldens Union Hill Church of Christ Youth Wellington Hills Friends
OPEN DINNER DATES:
December: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 26, 27, 29, 30
PAGE 3
Wish List Happy Wheels Wish List Small bottles of lotion Mini hand sanitizers Activity books (crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word finder) Small packs of crayons for the activity books Travel manicure sets Chapstick Individual packs of Kleenex Individually packaged snacks (Goldfish, granola bars, Teddy Grahams, gum, mints, Lifesavers, etc.) 12-ounce water bottles
House at Mercy Kids
HE Laundry detergent Swiffer liquid Coffee filters Coffee & tea Magic Erasers Labels for food Drink mixes Hygiene products Gallon-size Ziploc bags Laundry baskets Aluminum foil Travel-Size Toothpaste Fabric Softener
House near Cox South
8-gallon trash bags Individually wrapped breakfast items White queen deep pocket sheets (fitted and flat) White standard-size pillowcases White bath & hand towels White wash cloths Detergent Stamps 8 1/2 x 11 Paper K-cups Large Tupperware containers White Bath Mats
PAGE 4
Around the Houses
Hourly, Yearly, and Annual Awards
Congratulations to the volunteers who have reached hourly and yearly milestones! We are so thankful for your service to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks.
HOURLY AWARDS 25 HOURS Abigail Richardson, Cox House Gail Sours, Cox House Sydney Zupan, Cox House Glory Ehie, Mercy House Kathy Marshall, Mercy House Cathy Sanchez, Mercy House Judy Zorn, Mercy House
YEARLY AWARDS 5 YEARS
Becky Lang, Cox House Shawn Lowery, Cox House Grace Stagner, Cox House Travis Weitzel, Cox House Karla Peck, Cox House Jennie Crabbe, Mercy House
50 HOURS
250 HOURS
Amanda Fronzaglia, Cox House Kellie Wirtz, Cox House Alexis Gaono, Mercy House
Dorothy Harlan, Cox House Jamie Phariss, Mercy House
100 HOURS
Karla Peck, Cox House Kathy Dennis, Cox House Brady Marshall, Mercy House
Lerris Pierce, Cox House James Winstead, Cox House Kayla Swearengin, Mercy House
10 YEARS
Kay Prost, Cox House Tristen Uzzell, Cox House Anne Schubert, Cox House
500 HOURS
15 YEARS
Scott Weitzel, Cox House Sondra Uzzell, Cox House
20 YEARS
Joanna Weitzel, Cox House
Continues on page 7
Mission Moment While delivering donated items on behalf of Mercy Hospital’s Dietary Department, Lois was made aware that our guests are offered individually packaged cereal cups from our grab-n-go table, however are not offered individual-sized milk to go with it. Lois immediately remedied this problem by offering the House at Mercy Kids with a continual supply of small milk cartons so our guests can enjoy a quick breakfast to start their day. Thank you, Lois for your quick action and kind heart. Thank you, Mercy Hospital Dietary Department for your continual support of the House at Mercy Kids. Your generous donations not only fill our guest’s bellies, but also warm their hearts.
Hourly, Yearly, and Annual Awards (continued from page 6) ANNUAL AWARDS
Loniel B. Ford Award for Excellence in Volunteerism Brenda Rosebrough, Cox House
Brenda Rosebrough has been volunteering at the Cox House since January of 2019 and in that short amount of time, has served over 450 hours. In addition to covering the office and even representing the Houses at a volunteer fair, Brenda has volunteered at nearly every single event offered. She goes above and beyond to help our organization. She meets our families with compassion and our staff with kindness and reliability. Brenda is a huge asset to our Volunteer Program and we are honored to present her with the 2020 Loniel B. Ford Award for Excellence in Volunteerism.
Barbara L. Appleby Award for Excellence in Volunteerism Terry Greer, Mercy House
Terry Greer started volunteering at the House near Cox and served over 100 hours and then started volunteering at the Mercy House in 2012, serving a total of 650 hours. Terry came into the House with a warm and determined spirit, always willing to serve in the best way she could. From creating a clean and welcoming space for our families to training new volunteers and making sure they felt welcome, Terry encompasses what it means to be a Ronald McDonald House volunteer. Her kindness and generosity do not go unnoticed by our staff and our families. We are so honored to have Terry as a volunteer and ecstatic to present her with the 2020 Barbara L. Appleby Award for Excellence in Volunteerism. Congrats, Terry!
Monthly Statistics September 2020
House Near Cox South STATS Families Served...............14 Nights...................................135 Families from Missouri.................................12 Families from Other States.........................2 Year to Date.....................135 Program to Date.... 10,951
Stephen K. Scott Award
Jean Grabeel, RMHC Board of Directors This year’s recipient of the Stephen K. Scott Award for Excellence in Advocacy has been a part of the Tooth Truck program since its very early days. She has a great understanding of the needs of at-risk children enrolled in Springfield Public Schools and works tirelessly to connect them to resources so they are healthy and ready to learn at school each day. She leads the team of school nurses who work closely with the Tooth Truck staff to address dental issues. She is an incredible leader, energetic advocate, and devoted part of the Tooth Truck team. We are so honored to recognize Jean Grabeel with the Stephen K. Scott Award!
House At Mercy Kids STATS Families Served...............14 Nights..................................100 Families from Missouri.................................14 Families from Other States.........................0 Year to Date.....................137 Program to Date.....3,298
Family Dinner Spotlight Mercy SBU College of Nursing A big thank you to Mercy SBU College of Nursing for providing 8 dinners in October and a total of 13 dinners from September-November to the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids! With your help, you have provided about 75 individual meals to our families. Thank you for your support of the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids!
PAGE 5
Heart Tooth Talk of the Truck
Britt Bartels Stephanie Daniels Kathy Evans Angela Fairchild Melinda Fielder Katlyn Frazier Shawn Gott Sarah Jobe Anya Jones Kenny Kleiman Susan Lemmon Connie McCarter Blaine Weiss Chloe Williams Pamela York Jessica Zengel
Patrick received the Kevin D. Wallace Award over the summer prior to starting dental school at A.T. Still university. Patrick watches as a patient shows off his clean smile before returning to class.
The Tooth Truck
Volunteer Experience by Patrick Hoerning
STAFF
PRESIDENT & CEO SBonnie Keller PROGRAM DIRECTORRONALD MCDONALD CARE MOBILE Mindy Muñoz GENERAL DENTIST Dr. Sarah Cimino COMMUNITY DENTISTS Dr. Raymond Burton Dr. Aaron Dannegger Dr. Brett Durbin Dr. Misty Shelton PATIENT COORDINATOR Kiara Williams DENTAL ASSISTANTS Megan Sanders Gracie Morton
PAGE 6
Patrick Hoerning served as a volunteer with the Tooth Truck and Healthy Smiles Academy beginning in August 2019 until leaving for dental school in July of 2020. During his time with the organization, he did an amazing job connecting with each patient on a personal level and bringing out their unique smile. This summer he was presented with the 2020 Kevin D. Wallace Award for Excellence in Volunteerism for the positive impact he had on the volunteer program and the children we serve. Below Patrick shares his experience as a volunteer with the organization. My time volunteering with the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, aka The Tooth Truck, has been nothing short of life changing. When I started, back in the summer of 2019, I was fresh out of college and simply looking for some more dental experience. What I found was an opportunity to learn from some incredible people, and make a real difference in the community around me.
The Tooth Truck does such an amazing job treating children who would otherwise not be able to receive proper oral health care. They do this on such a large scale that it really is inspiring. Not only do I get to see first-hand the procedures that many dentists and hygienists practice, I also get to practice my own skills such as organization, communication, and patient dialect. One of my favorite parts of volunteering with the Tooth Truck is getting to see the kids’ smiles after they have received care. Seeing their bright, happy smiles makes every single hour of volunteering well worth it. Not only have I enjoyed my time working with the Tooth Truck, they have also helped me with applying to dental schools. They played a huge role in me being accepted into A.T. Still Dental School. They have given me so much, I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to give back. Volunteering with the Tooth Truck is 10/10!
Ronald McDonald Care Mobile of the Ozarks September 2020 Children Treated:...............170 Dental Appointments Provided:..................................226 Year to Date Dental Appointments:..................1,313 Program to Date Dental Appointments:..............59,361 Program to Date Value of Treatment:......... $18.2 million Children Who Received Treatment:
Patrick demonstrated proper technique by brushing alongside kiddos participating in the Healthy Smiles Academy.
Fremont Elementary Great Circle
Patrick’s parents also had an opportunity to reflect on his accomplishments as he begins this new phase of his dental pursuits.
Isabel’s House McGregor Elementary Weller Elementary
From a drooling, pacifier-loving toddler, to a current full-time dental student at A.T. Still University, the one trait that has always been strong in Patrick is his desire to help others. Since birth, we’ve watched him love, support, encourage and put smiles on the faces of classmates, teammates, co-workers, friends and family, so it only seems natural he would choose a profession that helps brighten smiles!
Westport Elementary
It has been exciting (with some stress) as we have watched him through T-ball to college ball, Victoria Secret’s Sales Clerk to Sushi Roll maker, video gamer to dependable volunteer. Patrick has a way of giving others joy while making you love him as he grows and matures into the amazing young man he is so far. While we are a family of health and community service-related careers, Patrick will be the first dentist. His volunteer time with the Tooth Truck and Healthy Smiles Academy was a blessing that grew his desire to become a dentist. As his parents, we are SO PROUD he was chosen to receive the Kevin D. Wallace Award for Excellence in Volunteerism this year!! We cannot wait for the community and us to be able to call him Dr. Patrick Hoerning, DMD
We love you Patrick! Dad & Mom (Steve & Cindy Hoerning)
Birthdays
Tooth Truck Wish List
Action figures Matchbox cars Hair accessories (clips, headbands) Chapstick Clorox Wipes Dixie Cups Handheld games
Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets) DVDs for older children Outdoor toys (bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Frisbees, sports balls) Walmart gift cards Beanie Babies
December 5 Connie McCarter December 17 Britt Bartels December 18 Blaine Weiss
PAGE 7
Heart Beats
949 E. Primrose Street Springfield, Missouri 65807-5257
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
25th Annual Cup O’Cheer
Postponed
The tradition of Cup O’Cheer has brought us all together for 24 years on the Friday before Thanksgiving. We’ve gathered with treasured family and friends to tour beautiful homes decorated for the holidays; enjoy Holiday Tea with desserts and savory treats; collect a commemorative teacup and saucer created especially for Cup O’Cheer; do a little shopping from our contributing vendors and silent auction; and most importantly, spend uninterrupted time with special people in our lives. We’ve worked with our team, partners and sponsors to attempt to create a way to celebrate our 25th anniversary of this special event, while keeping all as safe as possible. We’ve decided the best way to move forward is to cancel Cup O’Cheer in 2020. We are NOT canceling our 25th anniversary celebration – it is being postponed. We are hopeful that by November 2021, we will have a safe way to be together and celebrate 25 years of Cup O’Cheer. Although our plans have changed, our mission remains the same. We encourage all of you who support the Ronald McDonald Houses and Tooth Truck through Cup O’Cheer to consider RMHC in your holiday giving plans. Your gift will help us continue to support our families during this incredibly challenging time. Your support and continued generosity are greatly appreciated. We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season. Make your donation today online at RMHCozarks.org/events/ cup-o-cheer or by calling 417.875.3505.