Hospitality cart to offer comfort to children and families at PeaceHealth hospital in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Something new is roaming the Pediatrics floor and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield.

It has four wheels, a handle and offers some of the comforts of home.

Volunteers will begin making the rounds at RiverBend today with a beautiful wood hospitality cart. They will provide free hot drinks, snacks, games, phone chargers and other items to families with sick and injured children in the hospital.

This is the latest addition to the Hospitality à la Carte program by Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Oregon & SW Washington.

“The cart is a way to bring the compassionate hospitality we’re known for directly to children in the hospital and their family members,” said Jess Ubel, development director for the Heartfelt House.

Ronald McDonald House Charities® operates the Heartfelt House on the RiverBend campus, as well as other patient family guest houses throughout the country.

“These families often spend many hours in the hospital,” Ubel said. “Many don’t have the resources to buy food, drinks, or other items to make this challenging time a bit more comfortable.”

Two Ronald McDonald House Charities® volunteers will staff the cart on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

“This cart and the interaction with caring volunteers is such a wonderful gift to our youngest patients and their families,” said Mona Greenway, interim nursing manager for women’s and children’s services at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. “We are deeply grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities® and to the donors who helped bring this program to our hospital.”    

Launching the Hospitality à la Carte program at RiverBend was made possible by generous contributions from the N.B. and Jacqueline Guistina Foundation and the Chambers Family Foundation. Ronald McDonald House Charities® will be seeking ongoing funding from individuals and companies in our community through a monthly sponsorship opportunity. In-kind donations of new toys and individually wrapped snacks also are greatly appreciated.

For more information about how to donate to the hospitality cart program at RiverBend or become a Ronald McDonald House Charities® volunteer, please contact Robin Yozzo or Jess Ubel at 458-221-1362.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 1,200 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Oregon & SW Washington: RMHC provides access to medical care, a home away from home, and a community of support for seriously ill or injured children and their families. At RMHC, we work every day to ensure families traveling for lifesaving or life-changing medical care can count on us, whenever, and wherever they need us. Our dedicated staff, volunteers, and donors have made it possible for us to provide compassionate hospitality to more than 50,000 families since we first opened our doors in 1984. We are proud to say that we provide this vital resource at no cost to the families we serve, making it possible for them to focus on what matters most – each other. Learn more at rmhcoregon.org.