WATCH THIS!
At Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY), we understand the immense challenges that families face when their child is undergoing lifesaving medical treatment. Our mission is to provide a comforting and supportive environment for these families, ensuring they can focus on what matters most—their child’s health and well-being.
Among the many programs we offer to support this mission, the Helping Hands initiative stands out at the top of the list working to make a family’s stay just a little easier while engaging community members to take an active role in supplying that support.
Rob Vite, Manager of Helping Hands for Ronald McDonald House New York.
Let’s follow Volunteer Manager Rob Vite as he navigates the corporate volunteer landscape to see how this newer House initiative is utilized to serve our families and the community corporate teams that are volunteering their time to do so.
The Origins of Helping Hands
The Helping Hands initiative was born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world grappled with the uncertainties and restrictions brought on by the pandemic, RMH-NY faced the challenge of continuing to engage with our corporate partners while ensuring the safety of our families and staff.
It was during this time that Helping Hands was created as a safe and meaningful way for corporate groups to continue their support for the families at the House, even when in-person volunteer activities were not possible. Since its inception, Helping Hands has evolved into a vital part of our volunteer program, enabling groups to create care packages that provide comfort and joy to our families.
Helping Hands is managed by Rob Vite, a dedicated manager on our Volunteer Team who focuses on building corporate relationships and piloting several major fundraising events throughout the year. Helping Hands has become a cornerstone of our community engagement efforts, allowing us to continue supporting families in innovative and heartfelt ways.
Helping hands with Marsh and Markel @ Tony's Di Napoli
How Helping Hands Works
Helping Hands is a flexible and accessible volunteer opportunity that invites groups to assemble care packages for the families staying at RMH-NY. These care packages are designed to meet the specific needs of our families, offering practical items, comfort, and a touch of home during a challenging time. The initiative is structured around various assembly projects, each tailored to different needs, such as Welcome Bags for new families, Holiday Bags for special occasions, and NICU Care Kits for families with newborns in intensive care, and Breakfast Bags for everyone living in the House as they head to the hospital.
Helping hands with Marsh and Markel @ Tony's Di Napoli
The Where Has Changed
Prior to the pandemic, it was standard practice at RMH-NY to invite corporate volunteer teams to participate in these same types of projects, but to do it from the House where they might get more exposure to the mission of the organization just seeing our families within the House. Covid put an abrupt end to that.
Today, corporate teams of volunteers will host these efforts in a large conference room or a similar space within their offices. Now, Rob will travel to each group’s office, introduce the volunteers to the House and the mission before they get to work. Often, volunteer teams might utilize third-party spaces that fit the nature of the project they might be working on. Many of these businesses have an existing relationship with the House and have hosted corporate volunteer teams for RMH-NY in the past.
Guidelines for Helping Hands Assembly Projects
To ensure the success and consistency of the Helping Hands initiative, we have established a set of guidelines for volunteer groups participating in the program:
- Responsibility for Supplies: Volunteer groups are responsible for ordering, purchasing, and supplying all necessary items for the care packages. Depending on the project, some packages require specific items that must be adhered to, while others allow for a degree of creativity in selecting the contents.
- RMH-NY Staff Engagement: Upon request, a member of the RMH-NY staff can engage with the volunteer group to help lead the packaging activity, either in person or virtually. This support ensures that the activity aligns with our mission and that volunteers feel confident and supported throughout the process.
Helping Hands Manager, Rob Vite, plays to a packed house at Blackrock Corporate Offices in Hudson Yards
- Delivery Coordination: Groups are responsible for arranging the delivery of the completed care packages to RMH-NY. Given our limited on-site staff and storage space, it is crucial for groups to confirm a drop-off date and time with the RMH-NY Volunteer Department. This coordination helps us manage the flow of donations and ensures that the packages are delivered efficiently.
- Packaging Standards: All items included in the care packages must be brand new, gender-neutral, and individually packaged. Additionally, groups are encouraged to have boxes or bins ready on the event date to transport the packages to the House.
A Collaborative Effort: Partnerships for Enhanced Volunteering
Recognizing the importance of community and collaboration, RMH-NY has partnered with RCANO Events and Tony’s DiNapoli to offer additional support for groups participating in Helping Hands.
RCANO Events can assist with planning and organizing the Helping Hands Assembly, taking care of logistics such as ordering supplies, and coordinating the event. This partnership is particularly beneficial for groups that may not have the time or resources to handle all the details on their own.
Tony’s DiNapoli, a popular Italian restaurant in New York City, offers a free assembly space for groups to gather and complete their projects. By providing this space at no cost, Tony’s DiNapoli enables groups to focus their resources on purchasing the necessary supplies for the care packages.
This collaboration not only simplifies the logistics of assembly but also provides an opportunity for volunteers to bond over a shared meal, turning the event into a memorable team-building experience.
Rob chats with the volunteer teams from Marsh and Marckel.
A Week of Helping Hands with Rob
These days, Rob doesn’t get to sit still all that often. On any given day, one might catch him at Protiviti’s corporate offices, a business consulting solutions provider near Times Square, assisting 75 of their young summer interns in a community and volunteering team building project making breakfast bags for the House.
Perhaps, the next day you would find him on the Upper East Side later in the afternoon with a small collection of volunteers from Marsh and Markel putting together classic 50’s style drive-in movie gift bags for kids in the House in honor of National Drive Through day.
His last stop of the week happens to be to the brand-new Hudson Yards neighborhood of NYC to oversee 250 financial investment managers as they put together holiday bags during a team building exercise at the Blackrock corporate offices.
It’s clear Rob is NOT suffering from a case of too much down time throughout his work week.
In July alone, Rob oversaw seven fully-realized Helping Hands initiatives with 25 – 250 or so volunteers with each gathering. He led 32 events in the first half of 2024. That’s a lot of selfless, wonderful people taking time from their workday to serve our families. Talk about thankful.
A Much Deserved Thank You
Well, while we are on the subject... The gratitude the House feels toward our corporate partners and the effort put into each one of these events cannot be measured.
We are beyond grateful that so many incredible companies choose to help Ronald McDonald House New York.
The Impact of Helping Hands
The Helping Hands initiative has had a profound impact on both the families at RMH-NY and the volunteers who participate. For the families, receiving a care package is a source of comfort and a reminder that they are not alone in their journey. Each package is thoughtfully assembled to meet their specific needs, whether it’s a Welcome Bag filled with essentials to help them settle in, a Holiday Bag to brighten a special occasion, or a NICU Care Kit to support parents with newborns in intensive care.
For the volunteers, Helping Hands offers a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of families facing significant challenges. The act of coming together with colleagues, friends, or community members to assemble care packages is deeply rewarding, fostering a sense of connection and purpose. Volunteers often share that the experience of participating in Helping Hands strengthens their ties to the community and provides them with a deeper understanding of the impact of their efforts.
Corporate Partners and Their Contributions
The success of the Helping Hands initiative would not be possible without the generous support of our corporate partners. These organizations have embraced the opportunity to give back to the community through Helping Hands, contributing their time, resources, and creativity to assemble care packages for our families. Some of the 2024 participants include:🙂↕️
2024 Helping Hands Corporate Volunteer Teams
Corporate Team Type of Project
|
Walmart & Salesforce |
Meal Kits & NICU Bags |
|
Children's Media Association |
Holiday Bags |
|
Protiviti |
Breakfast Bags |
|
General Electric |
Holiday Bags |
|
Tapestry |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Restaurant Associates |
NICU Breastfeeding bags |
|
Estee Lauder |
Welcome Bags |
|
Varde |
Welcome Bags |
|
Munich RE |
Menstruation Kits |
|
Barclays |
Breakfast Bags |
|
William Grant & Sons |
Welcome & NICU Bags |
|
Ralph Lauren |
E-Card Session |
|
Howies Heart |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Temple Israel |
Emergency Go Kits |
|
Markel |
Welcome Bags |
|
William Grant & Sons |
E-Card Session |
|
Ralph Lauren |
E-Card Session |
|
Marsh |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Protiviti |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Strategas |
Breakfast Bags & Welcome Bags |
|
DemandBase |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Hain Celestial |
NICU Bags |
|
DirecTV |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Common Wealth Packaging |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Nextstar |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Tradeweb |
E-Card Session |
|
Tradeweb |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Tradeweb |
E-Card Session |
|
Flexport |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Marsh & Liberty |
Breakfast Bags & Holiday Bag |
|
Dell |
Welcome Bags |
|
RBC (Vessey) |
Welcome Bags |
|
Protiviti |
Breakfast Bags |
|
NFA |
Breakfast Bags |
|
Pfizer |
Cheeriidoicals |
|
Marsh & Markel |
Breakfast Bags & Holiday Bag |
|
Pfizer |
Back to School Bags |
|
Aman |
Breakfast Bags & Welcome Bags |
|
Fox Rothschild |
Welcome Bags |
|
Blackrock |
Breakfast Bags |
Pfizer Helping Hands
DirectTV Helping Hands soon to commence.
Barclay's Helping Hands Initiative
These corporate partners have not only provided valuable resources but have also helped to spread awareness of the Helping Hands initiative, encouraging other organizations to get involved.
Special Projects and Their Unique Impact
The Helping Hands initiative includes a variety of assembly projects, each with its own unique impact. Some of the key projects include:
- Welcome Bags: These bags are designed to provide comfort and essentials for families arriving at RMH-NY. Each Welcome Bag includes items such as reusable tote bags, water bottles, travel-sized tissues, journals, pens, cozy socks, eye masks, ear plugs, healthy snacks, phone chargers, and seasonal items like sunglasses or blankets. These bags also feature NYC-branded items, offering a warm welcome to families as they settle into the House.
- Holiday Bags: Holiday Bags are filled with festive crafts and other items to help families celebrate special occasions during their stay. These bags add a touch of joy and normalcy to what can be a difficult time, bringing smiles to the faces of both parents and children.
- NICU Care Kits: Designed for families with newborns in intensive care, these kits include essentials such as receiving blankets, grooming kits, bibs, onesies, baby wipes, rattles, and diapers. These items provide comfort and support to parents navigating the challenges of caring for a newborn in the NICU.
- Breakfast Bags: These bags are stuffed with healthy breakfast items that families can easily grab as they head out the door without missing a beat. Many of our kids experience long days in treatment at an NYC hospital and it is important that they get that boost of energy first thing in the morning as not to tire out too early in the day.
Some are special projects that have been a part of the Helping Hands repertoire in the past, do tend to recur and are needed from time to time, but are not a part of our key projects which need volunteer participation on a consistent basis:
- GO Snack Bags: Perfect for families who need a quick and convenient option as they travel between the House and the hospital. Filled with nutritious snacks, these bags offer a small but meaningful way to support families during their busy days.
- Storytime Packets: The Dot and ISH: Designed to encourage literacy and provide a comforting activity for children. Each packet includes a copy of the storybook, along with related activities and crafts that children can enjoy with their families.
The Future of Helping Hands
Looking ahead, the Helping Hands initiative has the potential to grow and evolve in exciting ways. As demand for in-office volunteering events continues to rise, there is an opportunity to expand Helping Hands into a standalone team at RMH-NY. This growth would allow us to reach even more corporate partners and volunteers, further enhancing our ability to support the families who rely on our services.
While the initiative has primarily taken place off-site, either at corporate offices or third-party locations like Tony’s DiNapoli, the program’s flexibility and adaptability mean that it could continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community.
By maintaining our focus on providing meaningful and impactful volunteer opportunities, we can ensure that Helping Hands remains a vital part of our mission for years to come.
Get Involved with Helping Hands
If you or your organization might be interested in making a difference in the lives of families with kids fighting horrific cancers and other life-threatening diseases through the Helping Hands initiative, we invite you to explore the various assembly projects available in the Group Volunteer Opportunities Deck.
Whether you’re assembling Welcome Bags, Holiday Bags, or NICU Care Kits, your contribution will have a direct and lasting impact on the families staying at RMH-NY.
To get started, simply choose a project that resonates with your group and reach out to the RMH-NY Volunteer Department to confirm the details. If you need additional support, our partnerships with RCANO Events and Tony’s DiNapoli Restaurant are available to help your plan and execute a successful event.
And Finally…
The Helping Hands initiative, expertly managed by Rob Vite, exemplifies the spirit of community, compassion, and collaboration that defines Ronald McDonald House New York. By providing essential care packages to our families, volunteers offer not just material support but also a message of hope and solidarity.
We are incredibly grateful to the volunteers and corporate partners who make Helping Hands possible, and we look forward to seeing this initiative continue to grow and thrive in the years to come. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of families with children facing unimaginable challenges—one care package at a time.
Book a Helping Hands for Your Corporate Team Today! Go to the Volunteer Page on the RMH-NY website or Email Rob and the Volunteers Team at volunteer@rmh-newyork.org.
