Executive summary

Stephani Medford Executive Director Ronald McDonald House Charities

of Arkoma

List your education, work experience:

Springdale High School graduate; graduated from University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in December 2006 with degrees in Spanish, Latin American Studies and cultural anthropology. I immediately went to work as annual giving coordinator for The Jones Center, then in February of 2010 became executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma Inc.

Tell us about your organization:

The Ronald McDonald House Charities mission is to find, create and support programs to improve the health and well-being of children. We think globally as we have chapters in 58 countries and regions, but we focus locally through the work of local chapters like RMHC of Arkoma. We do this through our four core programs listed below.

Mission: To find, create and support programs to improve the health and well-being of children in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

Services provided:

A 3,600-square-foot Ronald McDonald Family Room (House) inside Mercy Hospital Northwest in Rogers and a 3,000-square-foot Ronald McDonald Family Room inside Mercy Fort Smith that provides services in a homelike setting to families of ill children. We are open 24/7/365. We also operate a Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program that provides comprehensive dental care at no charge to under-served children in Benton and Washington counties through a strong partnership with local elementary schools as well as various community sites. In addition, we offer a grants program, funded by local McDonald’s in-store promotions and matching funds from our global office, to children’s organizations in the area.

Service area: Western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

Average number of people served annually: 3,000

How is your organization’s mission unique?

The Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a way to keep families together while their children are being treated at local hospitals — a place of respite within the hospital. Studies show this helps children heal better and faster. As we are located inside the hospital and a recent survey showed 73 percent of parents stay bedside (meaning in the hospital) during a child’s treatment, parents are able to be there for their children in a way that’s not possible if they’re commuting back and forth from home or sleeping in a waiting room or hospital hallway floor.

In addition, in Arkansas access to care can be a major problem as far as medical and dental services. Oftentimes when children need care, their parents or guardians cannot get them where they need to be due to transportation or other issues. With the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, we go directly to where the children are. The Care Mobile is funded almost 100 percent through philanthropic efforts.

Why do you work for a nonprofit organization? Do you have a personal connection to the mission? If so, what is it?

My mom is a nurse, and my dad is a special education teacher. I think helping others in their time of need is literally in my DNA, if that’s possible! I’ve been volunteering regularly since I was probably 12 and seeing what other people go through always made me feel fortunate for everything that I had, and I want to be a part of making other people’s lives easier. Growing up, my mom was always taking in a bird that broke its wing or any stray animal to help it find its way and I think her compassion for others has stuck with me.

What part of your job fills the most of your time?

Task management and relationship building, which is great because those are two things I really enjoy.

What have you learned on the job that you didn’t expect?

That even when you think you have everything figured out and lined out how it should be, it’s probably going to change or a wrench is going to get thrown into your plans. I’m learning to let things go and not let it affect the effectiveness and mood of my team or myself. Thank goodness optimism is a strength I possess!

What challenges face your organization?

As we live in such an amazing area that is constantly growing and changing, our organization is also growing and changing quickly, and with growth and change there are always challenges. However, we have a very passionate team and group of volunteers who support our efforts, so they make it much easier!

Are there volunteer opportunities in your organization? What are they?

Each of our Family Rooms is open 24/7/365 so we are always looking for volunteers to provide hospitality. We also have several advisory councils and special event committees that provide leadership opportunities for local volunteers.

What gets you out of bed to go to work in the morning?

It helps that I work with some fantastically dedicated people! But I really thrive off of productively helping others, and that’s what I get to do every single day!

What do you hope you leave behind as your legacy?

A culture of optimism, dedication and compassion!

Medford