Charity Changes Tack: COVID Forces Fundraising Online

At Hutcheon & Pearce, we love seeing rural families thrive. For years, we’ve supported Ronald McDonald House to help families in their time of need and we’re there again this year, lending a hand when it’s needed that little bit more.

Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, Ronald McDonald House Wagga Wagga gives seriously ill children the best gift of all – their families. This home-away-from-home has provided thousands of families with a comfortable place to stay and the peace of mind that they can be together, close to their child’s hospital.

Lisa Simpson has been Ronald McDonald House Wagga Wagga Executive Officer for just on a year now and oversees the running of the house, including taking care of families in need, managing house maintenance, coordinating the 100+ volunteers and handling the all-important fund raising.

“It’s been a year of firsts for me, and for many others with COVID a big factor. The house absolutely runs on donations and volunteers and COVID has had an impact on both.

“We cannot run without our volunteers – they’re the heart of what we do. When COVID first hit, and we were in that incredibly uncertain time, we had to suspend most of our 100 or so volunteers in their best interests. We wanted to make sure that everyone was being looked after so we had a small selection of what we call mission critical volunteers who enabled us to operate.

“I slept here overnight. We always had our bags packed, ready, because if sometimes we can’t fill an overnight volunteer spot, we stay. Our mission critical volunteers who don’t fall into a high risk or a vulnerable category were still able to do our overnights and we relied on them so much more than we usually do.

“There was a time where we weren’t accepting new families. Only families already in the houses were able to stay. Our priority as an organisation was a safe and sequential return to operations, so we have slowly reopened. We have worked our way back up to being open to our full capacity.

“We don’t have all of our volunteers back just yet. It’s hard because we want them back and they want to be back, but some are in what we would consider a vulnerable category and ultimately we want to make sure that we’re doing the right thing for them. What’s in their best interest is in our best interest.”

Lisa said COVID-19 has also affected fundraising with regular events giving way to online fundraising.

“Ordinarily we would have had a position at the Henty Machinery Field Days, for example, to increase awareness of the House and raffle off an item kindly donated by Hutcheon & Pearce.

“With the field days cancelled this year, Hutcheon & Pearce has still made a generous donation – a 12-volt battery operated children’s tractor and stake wagon – which formed part of on an online auction along with a couple of other items donated to us. The auction is a first for us as we’ve had to look at different ways to raise funds. Things like the loss of income from raffles, from Henty, really add up because we basically run on donations.

“It’s been great that Hutcheon & Pearce has been able to continue their support because all funds raised mean we are in a better position to broaden the experience for our families when they stay. That might mean a new paint job for our guestrooms, new linen, TVs in the rooms or outdoor play equipment. It’s only through businesses like Hutcheon & Pearce that we can build and continue to nurture our community.

“We are here for people out in the country and in regional areas. They’re the families that come and use our house so we need to make sure that they know we’re here for them. Getting our name and presence out there, through Henty Field Days, through Hutcheon & Pearce and their channels, through word of mouth is vital.

“Our mission is to provide a home-away-from-home for families. That’s at the heart of what we do and every decision we make. We thank every individual and business that has ever supported us, and we ask them to continue supporting us because the families that stay here appreciate it. They don’t know what they would have done otherwise. The support that Hutcheon & Pearce and others provide means we can continue to support these families when they need us most.”

If you’d like more information about Ronald McDonald House or are keen to volunteer your time or donate, simply visit: www.rmhc.org.au/programs/houses/nsw/ronald-mcdonald-house-wagga-wagga

Caption: Ronald McDonald House Wagga Wagga Executive Officer Lisa Simpson is pictured with the 12-volt battery operated children’s tractor which formed part of their recent online auction. The winning bidder was Sammy Schubert.