july 2013 volunteer voice - children's of alabama
TRANSCRIPT
A publication from Volunteer Services of Children's of Alabama July, 2013 Issue
Vo lu n t e e r Vo i c eVo lu n t e e r Vo i c e
Volunteer Services Mission Statement
We str ive to put our hearts to work to enhance the service and miss ion of Children 's of Alabama by serving the chi ldren, famil ies , and vis i tors with
respect , love, and compassion.
In this issue... Wagons, Wagons...
Big Top Clown Report... PNO & Wagon Donation... Eagle Scout Project... Regions & Redbird Ronald McDonald House... Important Dates...
Through June 30... 885 COA volunteers contributed 27,263 hours of service!!
Our goal for the entire year... 1200 volunteers and 60,000 hours of service!
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Spring, summer, winter, or fall, clowns are always busy spreading smiles and cheer! Currently, COA Auxiliary has thirty-‐four active clowns, averaging 147 volunteer hours monthly. Most of our clowns hold down full-‐time jobs and visit for a few hours at night. Some are lucky enough to visit during the day and stay longer.
Not only do clowns visit waiting rooms, patients' rooms, and lobbies; they also clown around at COA special events on and off campus. Clowns help with Parents' Night Out (PNO) and Fun Night at the Harbor. Within the past month the clowns have participated in Space Day, Southern Company’s Playtime Extravaganza, and Summer Fun Day. Off campus activities include Dream Night at the Zoo, and one of our clowns will be attending Camp Conquest (Pediatric Burn Camp). Clowns also represented COA at this year’s Regions Golf Classic. (The clowns did have to be reminded – no golfing...just goofing!)
Recently, Volunteer Services asked the Big Top Clowns to perform skits, and "Dinner with the Clowns" was born. Homewood/Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club provided a delicious meal for parents and children. Attendance was great, and the clowns did not disappoint!
Thank you, clowns, and all our volunteers, for what you do, and thanks to our friends in Volunteer Services for all your support! Happy summer!
--Giggles/Becky Hunt, Big Top Chairperson
Big Top Clown Report
Just clowning around with their new banner...(Thanks! We love it, Kim!)...In the back, Whiskers; front, left to right; Peppermint, Myrtle Bell, Cowboy Bob, Pixie, Jelly Bean, Beanie, Miss Mattie, and Giggles. Not pictured, but in attendance: Lot-te-dah.
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Children's of Alabama serves hundreds of patients and families in countless ways every year. Fortunately, this is made possible by the many individuals and organizations that, in turn, serve COA, enabling the countless programs and miracles that take place here. One such individual is Jack Evans, of Boy Scout Troop 120 in Pleasant Grove.
Though only 15 years old, Jack completed all requirements for his Eagle Badge and thought of Children's when deciding upon his final Eagle project. Jack's childhood best friend, Jonathan Ferguson, was an oncology patient at COA when both were in the fifth grade. Unfortunately, Jonathan lost his battle with cancer, so Jack decided to honor Jonathan and help other COA patients while earning his Eagle Scout rank.
After consulting this past March with Kim Crane, the Project Coordinator in Volunteer Services, Jack decided to collect video games for Children's patients to use on our gaming systems while hospitalized. Through fundraising and in cooperation with GameStop in Gardendale, Jack bought and donated 150 "E"-rated games in memory of his good friend, Jonathan Ferguson.
Because of this amazing young Eagle Scout, COA patients now have a wider variety of entertainment to help make their days at COA a little brighter, easier, and less stressful. Thanks, Jack, for your generosity in memorializing your friend Jonathan and for serving the children of our hospital in such a thoughtful, caring way! We are forever grateful...and Jonathan is forever honored and remembered!
Eagle Scout Project Benefits Children's
On May 31, Jack--pictured with supporting troop members--delivered 150 video games to COA. Stickers on each game say, "In Memory of Jonathan."
Jack Evans, with his friend Jonathan's mom. Through his Eagle project, Jack has truly had a direct impact on children!
V V One of the incredible charities associated with COA is the Ronald McDonald House, located just a block north of the 5th Avenue Parking deck, at 1700 4th Avenue South. As many people know, the RMH provides very low-cost housing for the families of children who are sick or injured. However, many may not realize that the Birmingham Ronald McDonald House was the fifth built in the U.S., just a few years after the first was established in Philadelphia in 1974. There are now over 300 RMHs spread across twenty-five countries worldwide. The Birmingham RMH strives to truly be a home away from home for families, open 365 days per year and offering rooms accommodating up to five guests each.
There is a children's playroom, laundry room, and two full kitchens where families can cook or eat prepared meals. Generous donors such as Costco, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola keep the kitchens stocked with food. Additionally, many individuals, restaurants, and other organizations arrange to provide periodic meals for RMH families. During the past year our 41-room RMH hosted hundreds of families, with an average stay of about twelve nights each. (The longest stay in 2012 was 219 days.) Many of the families are families of preemies, but families of any patients age 18 and under are welcome, whether they are inpatient or outpatient. Guests have been served from all parts of Alabama, from 18 other states, and from countries around the world. Funding for the RMH comes from various sources. The McDonald's Corporation provides about one-fifth of the budget, but fundraising is necessary to provide the rest. One on-going project is the Pop Tab Program. Many individuals and organizations collect tabs from aluminum cans and drop them off at the RMH. A recycler pays the RMH for each pound of aluminum collected, resulting in thousands of dollars in RMH funding annually! If COA volunteers would like to become involved in supporting the local RMH, they are encouraged to do so! There are many opportunities to help the RMH provide services that benefit the families of our patients! Visit the RMH website (www.rmhca.org) for info on how you might help or to learn details of lodging if you know of someone who might be in need of RMH services.
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WagonsWagons . . .. . .
WWaagonsgons .... It's quite impossible to walk very far in Children's without seeing some of the approximately 500 red wagons hauling kids and/or stuff, or perhaps sitting quietly, patiently waiting for their next customer! The wagons have been a part of COA for many years. In fact, it's hard to imagine how our patients and their belongings would be moved were it not for the Radio Flyers dotting virtually every corner of our campus. All wagons are donated-‐-‐some by individuals, many by civic clubs, college organizations, or other groups. Some are given in honor of or in memory of loved ones. Those wagons have small plaques attached, noting the donation. Others have been painted (with non-‐toxic paint and a sealer), while many are unadorned and undecorated, simply transporting their valuable cargo! Ideally, all wagons are thoroughly cleaned with "Not Baby Wipes" between uses. Sometimes school groups or other organizations schedule volunteer days with volunteer coordinator Howard Holmes to collect wagons from the parking decks and clean them. If one of the groups to whom you belong would like to do this, contact Howard for info and to arrange a date and time. Likewise, individuals or groups who want to buy and donate wagons can contact Howard for this information as well. Our wagons are always in need of replacement, as some are injured beyond repair in the course of duty, while others simply wander away from COA, never to return. (Howard's phone is 205-‐638-‐9797. His email is [email protected].) We truly do have wagons, wagons, everywhere...and whenever you find one or more in the parking decks, please bring at least one with you as you enter and place it in a corral either in McWane or Russell...or simply join it with some of its brethren if you're not sure where it belongs. The Children's of Alabama and Radio Flyer families will thank you!
E v e r y w h e r e !E v e r y w h e r e !
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Homewood and Mountain Brook Kiwanis Club sponsored PNO on June 13 with the highest number of meals served so far this year! Over 80 parents, kids, and families enjoyed this wonderful treat, with another 18 volunteers and friends of Children's eating as well! Thanks, Kiwanis Club members, for this invaluable service!
Hoover Fire Station #6 recently added to the COA wagon herd by donating twelve beautifully decorated Radio Flyers! The wagons were painted by the art class at Spain Park and the Hoover High Special Ed Class. Some of the Hoover students came to Children's with three of the Hoover firemen to present the wagons.
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The recently deposed Dr. Redbird
Dr. Amber (no real photo available)
Volunteers recently staffed the Children's of Alabama tent at the Regions Classic at Shoal Creek. Passersby were treated to COA band-aids, stickers, info on our amazing hospital, and the opportunity to win valuable prizes.
Dr. Redbird and his cohort, Dr. Amber (along with other infamous color codes) were recently ousted as indicators of safety and security concerns at COA. Details were contained in a "Special Edition" Volunteer Voice newsletter emailed in early June. If you somehow missed receiving that Voice and are not up to date on the new codes, please email Suzanne Reeves ([email protected]). She will speed you another copy at no charge.
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July 11, 5 pm -- Parents' Night Out
July 22, 5 pm -- Fun Night at the Harbor
July 23, 6 pm -- Auxiliary Board Meeting in the Bradley Center
(Dinner 5:30, Meeting at 6 pm. Let us know if you
plan to attend. We'd love to have you!
August 8, 5 pm -- Parents' Night Out
August 26, 5 pm -- Fun Night at the Harbor
Sept. 12, 5 pm -- Parents' Night Out
Sept. 23, 5 pm -- Fun Night at the Harbor
The Volunteer Staff: Sherry Scarborough Director Bonita Bivins Greeter Coordinator Kim Crane Project Coordinator Frank Hrabe Database and Compliance Coordinator Myla Hodge Greeter Coordinator Lisa Howard Student Volunteer Coordinator Howard Holmes Adult Volunteer Coordinator Suzanne Reeves Special Programs Coordinator Volunteer Voice Danny Culp Designer and Editor
Do you have ideas for articles or features in Volunteer Voice? If so, email Suzanne Reeves ([email protected]) and let her know!