‘We hope to bring some light and joy’: Ronald McDonald Family Room begins Christmas hamper campaign

The Ronald McDonald House Charities Family Room at the Victoria Hospital. -- Submitted photo.

Uko Akpanuko

Daily Herald

The Ronald MacDonald House Charity Family Room has started their Christmas donation campaign to help families with sick children in the Victoria Hospital.

The gifts will be shared with families as holiday hampers with the goal of putting smiles on the faces of the sick children and their families, as well as the caregivers.

“Every year we put together these holiday hampers for the families who have to stay in the hospital during the holiday season,” said Nadia Balytska the Ron MacDonalds House Charity Family Room Coordinator. “We support families from the paediatric unit and the neo-natal intensive care unit. We put together those hampers and just bring them to make their stay a bit lighter.”

Balytska said they recognized being away from family and friends is not easy, especially during the holidays. The hampers were created to help those make the best of a difficult situation.

“We hope to bring some light and joy and holiday spirit to those families,” she said.

“They love those hampers and it makes their stay a bit special. If you have to stay in the hospital, and some families can’t even leave the hospital to buy some presents for the kids, that’s where we would step in and support them.”

Balytska said they typically give out around 30 hampers every year to families that stay in the Victoria Hospital during the holiday period, with a focus on the pediatric and the postnatal intensive care units.

Donations from residents will be appreciated, she said. The list of items donors can contribute includes puzzles, board games, gamebooks, playing cards, Teen journals/Diary, hygiene kits, small stuffed animals, activity books for children, teens and adults, crayons or markers or pencils, cozy socks, winter theme blankets, adult and children mittens, travel mugs, toys (Lego, dolls, farm/doctor sets, cars/trucks etc.), and sensory items for children.

Gift cards are also a welcome addition. The list includes gift cards for fuel and coffee shops, but Balytska said food is actually the biggest gift card need.

“Food is a huge demand here,” she said, “Lots of food preparation is going on here, so any gift cards from groceries stores will be much appreciated, and also toiletries.”

Ronald McDonald Family Room is one of the core programs of Ronald McDonald House Charities Saskatchewan. The Family Room is located in the Pediatric Unit of the Victoria Hospital. It offers a safe and welcoming space within the hospital and provides tremendous support for families of kids staying in the Victoria Hospital.

Anyone that wants to support can drop the gift at the RM family on the 3rd Floor or contact Nadia Balytska at nbalytska@rmh.sk.ca or call 306-765-2309.

Balytska said the support of the community is what makes the hamper campaign possible.

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