JOPLIN, MO. – On Thursday, May 19, from 8:00 to 12:00 pm, Mercy Health Foundation staff members volunteered at Ronald McDonald House of the Four States. The group spent their time on a variety of tasks in the House.

One task the coworkers completed was assembling “Comfort Bags,” which are gifted to each family that stays at Ronald McDonald House of the Four States. The bag includes a stuffed animal, a coloring book, toiletry items, a burp cloth, and other gifts for the parents and their baby.

“The Ronald McDonald House has given countless families a welcoming home-away-from-home, and our Mercy Health Foundation co-workers wanted to give back by assembling care bags for each of the families staying here as well as cleaning and general maintenance inside the 14,000 square foot home,” said Nicole Fuehne, director of donor engagement at Mercy Health Foundation.

The group completed four of the eight volunteer hours allotted to them in Mercy’s new employee program.

“We recently provided all co-workers with a day of Volunteer Time Off each year — a way to give back to the communities that we love,” said Fuehne. “We’re thankful for the charitable organizations that serve our friends and families, and we’re excited for the teambuilding that will come with volunteering together!

About Mercy Health Foundation

Mercy Health Foundation Joplin helps meet the health care needs of those they serve in Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. The Foundation raises funds to improve patient care programs, fund lifesaving equipment and provide resources that benefit patients at Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Joplin and Carthage, MO, and Columbus and Galena, KS.

To learn more about Mercy Health Foundation, visit https://mercyhealthfoundation.net/.

Find out how you can become involved with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States by visiting www.rmhjoplin.org or calling 417-624-2273.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States has served our communities since 1996 through its mission, which is to create, find, and support programs that directly support the health and well-being of children and their families. That mission is executed through its cornerstone program, Ronald McDonald House, and the Ronald McDonald Family Room, located at Mercy Hospital in Joplin. Our House provides temporary lodging for families of seriously ill children (ages 0-21) and ill expectant mothers, while our Family Room serves as a small oasis for families of pediatric patients just steps away from their child’s hospital room. For the over 200 families that Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States serves annually, we give a family with a sick child what they need most – each other.