McDonald House hopes to help more families in need

Diana Fishlock The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News

Amanda Stevens is fighting a disease that’s attacking her kidneys. Her parents can’t work while they stay for her treatments in Derry Twp.

But at least they have a place to stay.

Since Jan. 5, the Stevens family has lived in the Ronald McDonald House of Hershey. But they’ve seen other families turned away because there was no room for them.

“Me and my wife, we have no income coming in. If we had to stay in a motel, it would just drain us. We wouldn’t be able to do it,” said George Stevens, of Galeton in Potter County.

For more information on the Ronald McDonald House of Hershey, visit: www.ronaldshousehershey.org. The organization also raises funds

through magazine and soda can pop top recycling. The Web site offers drop-off locations.

The Ronald McDonald House of Hershey keeps children and families together by providing temporary housing to out-of-town families of seriously ill children who are being treated at Penn State Children’s Hospital at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Officials hope to expand the house from 20 bedrooms to 35. But they must raise an additional $540,750 by May 31 or they’ll lose a matching grant for $250,000.

“They need it drastically,” George Stevens said. “There’s people who come here during the day because they have nowhere else to go, but there’s no place for them to bed down.”

The Ronald McDonald House is hardly alone in its struggle to meet fundraising goals. Regionally and nationally, nonprofit groups are hurting.

“I think it’s symbolic of some greater difficulties that not-for-profits are going to have raising money this year,” said Joe Capita, president and CEO of United Way of the Capital Region.

The United Way of the Capital Region surpassed its 2008 goal, raising $10.1 million. But other local United Way chapters fell short of their targets.

Because some charities are seeing such a demand for services, the United Way of the Capital Region launched an emergency appeal last month to raise $100,000. More than $60,000 has been raised, Capita said.

“It’s rough out there. People are hurting, and the nonprofits are feeling it as well,” said Suzanne Coffman, a spokeswoman for Guide- Star, a clearinghouse for the 1.8 million nonprofits registered with the IRS.

“We’re seeing all through the country that organizations are having trouble meeting their budgets,” Coffman said. “Some are closing their doors. Some are laying off staff. Some are cutting programs. Some are freezing compensation and benefits.”

GuideStar is conducting a survey to learn how widespread the problems are, Coffman said. The organization typically does a survey every fall. For the first time, the clearinghouse has done a March survey to supplement its annual fall research.

“We’re doing it because of the extraordinary circumstances,” she said.

Last fall, 64 percent of nonprofits said demand was up, and 35 percent reported contributions had dropped from the previous year — double the percentage of the year before, Coffman said.

For the Ronald McDonald House, failure is not an option, Executive Director Kathy Denton said.

“There are too many people who are counting on us to build this house for the future,” Denton said. “It would be the first time ever that we failed. We don’t intend to do that.”

The $4.5 million Room To Grow! capital campaign will conclude with a $250,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation, but only if the house meets its financial goal, spokeswoman Debra Barry said.

The midstate house has hosted families whose children were in car accidents, had anorexia or other illnesses, Barry said.

“I think the home atmosphere helps the families,” Barry said. “There is a big kitchen, and the kitchen is often where people meet and they can make cookies. They meet people who are going through similar circumstances.”

Amanda Stevens contracted kidney disease when she was 16, and the family has stayed in the Ronald Mc- Donald house off and on ever since, George Stevens said.

“We’ve been here so much, it’s pretty much like home,” he said.