Name in the News: Jerri Chong

When Jerri Chong became president of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii, it completed a kind of circle. There was a time when she would have needed its services.

Hawaii now has two Ronald McDonald Houses in Manoa, sites chosen for their nearness to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, where families of young patients there can stay.

Chong earned her special- education degree from the University of Hawaii; her positions also included vice president of marketing and development at PBS Hawaii. But three decades ago she worked for Communications Pacific, and getting the first House opened was among her pro-bono projects.

Shortly before her daughter was born, while the preparation work was still ongoing, Chong developed complications in her pregnancy, and immediately after the birth.

The Big Island native, now 62, likes to point out the irony.

“All I could think of at the time was, ‘If I was still living in Hilo … I would have desperately needed a Ronald McDonald House, because I would have been medevac’d up here,” said Chong.

Hawaii’s population, scattered among islands, has a particular need for the charity, due to the remoteness of many families from specialized medical care. Invariably the patients are children, but sometimes, she said, there are cases like her own in which postpartum mothers need care as well and families are visiting both in the hospital.

The charity provides lodging for nearly 400 families each year. A total of 17 families are accommodated at a time in the spacious, renovated residences, one family per large room. When they’re full, participating hotels offer rooms until space opens up.

The organization benefits from volunteer work as well as donations, she said. Individuals and organizations contribute food for the pantry, supplies or professional services for the upkeep of the homes; the newest car, shuttling families to the hospital and back, also was a gift.

It’s a favorite charity of McDonald’s, which was instrumental in the organization’s founding in Philadelphia, but it’s wholly separate from the corporation, she said. A lot of the younger tour groups are unclear on that concept.

“They all think Ronald McDonald lives here,” Chong said, “and I have to tell them no.”

QUESTION: How has the Ronald McDonald House changed in Hawaii since it first opened 30 years ago?

ANSWER: So much has happened since Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) opened its first House in Hawaii. We’ve grown, we’ve expanded our reach; we added outreach and family support programs and in 2006, opened a second house, nearly doubling the number of families we’re able to serve.

Thirty years ago, most children with serious illnesses were hospitalized, so only the parents stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. Today, with advancements in medical treatments and protocols, and shorter hospital stays, many seriously ill or injured children are often treated on an outpatient basis.

So families that stay with us now include the child patient, as well as parents and even siblings, and our services have grown and changed to include care and support for the entire family.

Q: There must be a heavy demand. How does the staff determine which families have priority in admission?

A: Accidents and illnesses are impossible to predict, and every child’s medical situation is different. All families are referred by medical professionals, social workers, insurance companies, or other health-care entities that work closely with our staff to determine eligibility and need. …

If both Ronald McDonald Houses are full, families are temporarily lodged at a hotel partner until a guest room opens up at the House, usually in one or two days.

In RMHC’s 30-year history, no family has ever been left without accommodations or turned away because of limited financial resources. Families are asked to contribute $20 a night toward their stay if they are able, but it is considered a donation and payment is not required. …

Q: Is there counseling, or ways you can support these guests, beyond providing their accommodations?

A: We try to provide a sense of normalcy and stability for the families, sort of an eye in the center of the storm that they’re going through. Often the biggest obstacle to receiving health care is just being able to be near your child when they’re in the hospital.

We try to relieve that burden by giving families a place to stay and all the basic, everyday things that they need — warm beds, hot showers, a fully stocked kitchen and laundry room. Transportation back and forth to the hospital; phones, computers and WiFi service so families can stay in touch with loved ones back home.

But it’s the intangibles that are the most important — the support and caring, the humanity and compassion that really reflects what a Ronald McDonald House is all about. And it’s the connection with other families who know exactly what they’re going through, sharing victories and struggles, that makes the biggest difference of all.

Q: What is RMHC-Hawaii’s annual budget? How much comes from collection boxes at restaurants, as opposed to large or corporate donations?

A: We operate on an annual cash budget of about $1.8 million. Donation boxes at McDonald’s restaurants raise almost a quarter of a million dollars every year, monies contributed by people from every island in our state.

Our fundraising is pretty well diversified, with support from the grassroots community making up almost two-thirds of our revenue base. But it’s the extraordinary contributions of time, goods and services that make it possible for us to run a full-service operation.

We have been embraced by a community that cares, and what a difference it’s made! Collaboration, connecting and partnering have been the cornerstones for expanding our programs and providing services to meet the growing needs of island families. …

Q: Are there any special efforts made for families over the holiday season?

A: The holidays can be difficult for families that are far from home and away from their loved ones. Cancer and other diseases don’t take holidays off, so there are always families at the Ronald House — whether it’s Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, a child’s birthday or even Christmas.

But these families are not alone. Each year, as Christmas approaches, numerous people and businesses step forward. … Caring individuals and groups come with offers of food, gifts and holiday activities for the families to enjoy, taking away some of the frustration and worry of being so far from home with a very sick child.

But the holiday cheer, generous spirit and compassionate hearts are not just a seasonal offering. For our Ronald McDonald House families, every day is a gift and reason to celebrate. It’s a triumph of the human spirit that we hold very dear.

Q:Do you have concerns about funding becoming less available with the changes in the federal tax code? What alternative sources may be possible?

A:The new tax law has a number of people worried about what it means for nonprofits that rely on individual donations, especially if their donor base is made up largely of givers from the middle of the income scale. Although there are still many questions about the impact of the bill, it’s not too soon to do risk assessment and determine vulnerable areas. …

I’m no tax expert, but part of our revenue base depends on fundraising activities that generate support from mid-level donors, a big part of our donor market affected by the new tax law.

So yes, we will take a close look at needs and opportunities, expand our reach and strengthen our messaging to try and soften any negative impact of the law. But we’re hopeful that our history and relationship with our donors will reinforce their support because they believe in the work we do and services we provide for families in Hawaii.

Q: Do you find working in this sector satisfying?

A: I’ve always felt that to be part of a community partnership that steps forward for families-in-need is deeply satisfying. But to have a chance to be part of the reason a child is able to recover and flourish is absolutely priceless.