Christmas in July: How CNY Can Help Families at Ronald McDonald House

When a child is seriously ill or injured, families should be able to focus on one thing: being there.

On this episode of The Community Connection, part of the Inner Harbor Cast, Skip Clark sits down with Beth Trunfio, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York, to talk about the life-changing support the organization provides to families receiving medical care in our community.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York serves more than 1,000 families each year, providing a home away from home, home-cooked meals, transportation support, essential supplies, compassionate care, and a community of people who understand what families are going through—all while helping keep loved ones close to their children.

Beth also shares details about the annual Christmas in July donation drive, which helps restock essential supplies used by families throughout the year.

🎄 Christmas in July Drop-Off Event
📅 July 23
⏰ 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York
1100 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY

Needed items include:
• New, unopened non-perishable food
• Grab-and-go snacks
• Household essentials
• Toys and activities
• Grocery, retail and other gift cards

Supporters can also help through the organization’s online wish list.

In this conversation, Beth discusses:

• How Ronald McDonald House keeps families together during serious medical challenges
• The real financial burden facing families who travel for pediatric care
• Hospitality carts serving families inside local hospitals
• Why simple things like meals, laundry and transportation make an enormous difference
• How Central New York has supported families for more than 40 years
• Volunteer and donation opportunities
• How families are referred for a stay
• Why Christmas in July is so important

One of the most powerful reminders from this conversation: when everything else is taken care of, parents can focus on the job that matters most—being there for their child.

Learn more, donate, volunteer, or view the complete wish list at rmhcny.org.

Subscribe to the Inner Harbor Cast for more conversations with the nonprofit leaders, community organizations, local newsmakers and people making a difference across Central New York.

#RonaldMcDonaldHouse #RMHC #CentralNewYork #SyracuseNY #ChristmasInJuly #CommunityConnection #InnerHarborCast #SkipClark #CNY #Nonprofit #FamilySupport

Transcript

Welcome And Why This Matters

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the Community Connection, Inner Harbor Media Studios, also part of the Inner Harbor cast. My name is Skiff Clark, and today we're shining a spotlight on an organization that provides comfort, care, and a home away from home for those families facing some of life's most difficult moments. Joining us is Beth Trunfio. Did I say that right?

SPEAKER_00 0:23

You did.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

I did. She is the president and CEO of our good friends at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York. Beth is here to talk about the House's uh mission of supporting families with seriously ill children receiving medical care in our community, as well as their annual Christmas in July. And I'll tell you right off the top, it's coming up in July. We'll get into that here in just a little bit. Uh it's a donation drive which helps restock essential supplies with the thousands of family members who rely on their programs each and every year. And uh Beth, uh, I want to say thank you for being with us today, this morning, coming in early, and uh for the incredible work that you and your team do uh for all the families throughout central New York. So thank you for being here. It's okay to see you.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

It's really good to see you, and thanks for having me here.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Of course, you know, usually I'm hiding in a studio and we talk on the phone and we do the interview, but uh welcome to the new age.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Yes, yeah, it's wonderful. Yes, nice uh little surprise uh FaceTime. It's great.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Yeah, it is. And this uh, of course, subscribe to the Inner Harbor Cast, and not only with Beth and the mission of the Ronald McDonald House, but a lot of other 501c3 organizations. You'll see them all posted up there and get to know the community just a

Mission And Who They Serve

SPEAKER_01 1:38

little bit. Uh, Beth, uh, first of all, for listeners who may not be familiar, can you tell us about the Ronald McDonald House Central New York and the families that you serve?

SPEAKER_00 1:47

It would be my pleasure. At the Ronald McDonald House of Central New York, we provide essential services for families. Families who come to our area with a child who is ill, seriously ill, injured, sometimes chronic illnesses, and are away from their home community. So we remove barriers that would prohibit them from being able to be fully engaged in the care and that wellness journey of their child, home cooked meals, a place to rest and rejuvenate. And we keep those families together at no cost.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Very cool. Love that. And already my heart is like that. But uh what does it mean to put uh families at the heart of care? And how does that mission guide your work each and every day?

SPEAKER_00 2:39

You know, I think it's uh just considering what your own family needs. I think, you know, as people who care about others in our community, that being able to put our families first, to be able to ensure that when they are here and they have a child who is ill, that we are doing all of the things that are necessary to alleviate any burden so they can focus on their child. And and that is really putting them at the heart in the center of the work that we do.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Approximately how many families do you serve?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

So over a thousand each year. And um, to date, we've served in our family stays over 800 family stays and family nights. So that is a number of family members who are moms and dads, uh, sometimes grandmas and grandpas who are here to support mom and dad, uh, best friend, auntie, um, and the siblings who are with us as well. So this summer, uh, for example, we have a lot of activities in place for them uh for the families, so that they can have a little bit of a break, that we can support the siblings, or sometimes the patients who are outpatient, we do movie nights and you know, it's been really hot. So we've had the sprinkler going outside, and we have we're doing uh an ice cream day, and you know, all the fun things that that children and families should be enjoying. Keeps everybody together, keeps everybody together.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah, wow, that's pretty awesome. Uh approximately, well, let me uh ask you this what types of support do they receive when they stay there?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

I think the most essential thing um that the type of support that they receive is compassionate care. And that that comes in um or it manifests and comes in so many ways. Um, it comes from their peers, from other families who are going through uh an illness of a child. The way that they connect, whether it be in the kitchen, on the elevator, while they're uh watching a movie, is really extraordinary. They provide that um organic care and support and understanding for each other, but it is also in home cooked meals, it is in transportation to and from the hospital. It's providing access to other resources with other community partners that we have. So that should they be in need of diapers, uh, we partner with the CMY diaper bank. So anything that they might need here at the house when they're here that they would typically have at home, we have available to them.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Do

Hospitality Carts And Bedside Comfort

SPEAKER_01 5:46

you still have the hospitality cart?

SPEAKER_00 5:48

We do. That is, yeah, that's a that's a really uh neat program that we launched um a little over a year and a half ago. We have two hospitality carts at Krause Hospital. Um, one is in the emergency room area that serves uh children who are at the hospital in the emergency room with their parents. And the social work team there really loves this cart because it provides really an uh an opportunity to connect with the family to take care of the parent while the child is, you know, feeling is occupied. They have some snacks, some coloring books, etc. At the um inpatient unit, at the NICU and on the maternity floor, we have our hospitality cart. So it is a cart that brings that has um uh snack, just as it sounds, a hospitality cart, snacks, uh, maybe a little toy for a sibling um that is coming, um, a blanket, uh, little amenities for them so that they can um have a little bit of the Ronald McDonald house hospitality at their bedside.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

I know that feeling. I spent a little time at the uh NICU unit many years ago, but they didn't have the hospitality, the hospitality card at that time. We um, you know, pretty much didn't have what they're offering now, and I just so wish we did, which would have made it just a little bit easier. But uh, and thank you for doing that.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Welcome.

Christmas In July Wish List Drive

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Um, so have you got your Christmas shopping done? Have you even started it? Because you know, we got like what, six months?

SPEAKER_00 7:32

Yes, yeah. If you if you know me, uh that's not that's not my approach to to Christmas shopping, but uh hopefully um we get people thinking about it this month.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

And I have been thinking about it, but especially with what you have coming up with the Ronald McDonald House is Christmas in July. And that's coming up on July, well, you kick it off on the 23rd, which is right around the corner.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Yes, we do. Uh what we are what we've done the last several years is taking this opportunity in July, which is mid year, and you can um appreciate by the volume of family members that we see um every year that and leading up to this point, our resources start to get a little lean and mean. And in the summertime, it ramps up because there's a lot of outpatient and more siblings staying with us. So, so we welcome the community to help us help families and care for families through this wish list drive. And it's you know, we it's throughout the month, you can um either do a neighborhood drive or if you're in a business or an organization, um get your company involved. And yeah, we have you know an opportunity to send through Amazon as well. So if you can't get out, um I I know oh yeah, you know we all love a little bit of that. So um we welcome that as well.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Um what are uh some of the most needed items? What are the urgently needed items?

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Again, always those uh food items that are non-perishable, uh grab and go snacks, whether it be, you know, fruit snacks or granola bars. A lot of times our families are zipping up to the hospital um early in the morning and they want to grab and go a few items to bring with them to for breakfast to get their energy boost, or they'll pack lunches to head up as well. So those grab and go snack items are great. You can see a full list on our website, but also gift cards. We have families with special diets and needs, and we like to accommodate all families. So grocery gift cards are a wonderful way to help as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

When you talk about the grab and go, I mean, it's just that it's a grab and go. It is, and it's all supplied by, of course, you and the Ronald McDonald House. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Yes, and and this incredible community. That is uh that is how we are supported and and funded each year. We are an organization that is truly we carry a big name, Ronald McDonald House, but we are are very much a grassroots community supported and driven organizations. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Yeah, you're gonna love that, Beth. That's awesome. Um, you know, why are these items so critical to supporting the guest families?

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Again,

The Hidden Burden Donations Remove

SPEAKER_00 10:23

we we want families to be able to focus on themselves and their family unit and importantly their child or children who are ill. And I had uh a dad say to me um not long ago, um, he had been staying elsewhere um in a hotel, and he was reluctant to come and stay at the Ronald McDonald house. And I asked him how his stay was, and he said to me, he said, I did not realize how even the most fundamental decision as to where what we would eat for breakfast or lunch or where I might do my laundry, how difficult it was for us to to think about those and address those on a daily basis. And when we were when we came here at the Ronald McDonald house, it became very clear to me that everything else was going to be taken care of, and we had one job and we could fully immerse ourselves in it.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Beth, how long have you been doing this?

SPEAKER_00 11:32

27 years.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah, and it's different all the time, and you never get tired of it. It's one of those you're blessed.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

I I truly am. Yeah, I'm truly blessed. I I am one who has uh been truly blessed to be able to uh wake up every day um and go to work and it doesn't feel like work and never dread a Monday, truly, and and have the opportunity to meet families who are so inspiring and so brave, and to meet our community members who are so kind and generous. It's it's really wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

And it goes back to what I was saying about the grab and go, and it's all from the Ronald McDonald House. You need something, you grab, you go, you go do what you got to do. Uh, but that doesn't come without a cost. So it's people locally that help support Ronald McDonald House, or maybe you viewing this or listening to this on the air, that uh, you know, I'm sure you can go to the website, make a monetary donation, or you can also make some other types of donations, as you mentioned, non-perishable foods and what have you.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

When you when you speak about cost, it it costs well over $500 a night.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

For a family, if they were to travel to our community, stay in a hotel for one night, family of four, think about you know where that what they were gonna eat, etc. Um, so that burden is completely alleviated. We we saved families over two million dollars last year who who came to the area. And yes, so there is a cost associated with that.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

I think it's so important that we give back because you never know, we could be in that same situation.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

Unfortunately, yes. And I and I think that families um often will give back to us who have stayed at another Ronald McDonald house, but return to our community and and same with those from you know our community or from other communities, you know, they give back to their own. Um, but it is it is rare that I don't speak to someone who might say I knew someone who was touched. It's that connection. Or or you know, that they are so grateful they haven't had the opportunity or they have not had to utilize the house.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Where

Where To Donate And How

SPEAKER_01 13:59

is the Ronald McDonald House itself?

SPEAKER_00 14:02

It's it's on uh it's at 1100 East Genesee. It's at 1100 East Genesee Street at the corner of University Abs.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

So it's easy to get to the hospital.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

It's very easy. Location is everything with all of the Ronald McDonald houses, and it is in walking distance of our uh Gall Center Children's Hospital, their clinics, um, as well as uh Krauss. And we also serve families from St. Joe's um on occasion.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

Do you supply transportation from the house, the Ronald McDonald house, to the hospital up to Kraus, if you have to go? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Through our hospital partners, Krauss and um Upstate. Okay, they provide shuttle services for the families, which is excellent.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Yes, can't ask you. We all know what the parking's like. So, you know, to make it easy on these families that have to go and do what they have to do. That's another great option with the Ronald.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

It is, and they, you know, they keep um unusual hours. Some some are going up in the middle of the night, you know, to feed their babies. Um, you know, so that they're going back and forth at all hours and and the the service shuttle services accommodate those families really well.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Beth, uh Beth, for somebody who wants to help but can't shop in person, what options are available uh through your Amazon wish list? Which by the way, I I we talked about this a little bit in the beginning or before the cameras went on that this is an option that just makes it so easy to give back. And I mean, let's just reality is who doesn't shop on Amazon and have the wish list there.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

It's super convenient for people. Um, we love to see people come in person. Um, we've talked a lot about face-to-face and having the opportunity to see each other again. That's um we we love having those connections and relationships, and we're gonna have some fun um opportunities that day, you know, to meet our staff and meet some of our volunteers. But if you're not able to come, that's on the 23rd. That's on the 23rd. Um, and again, if you can't make it on the 23rd, you know, you can just send us a message and pop down, pop down anytime during the month or even after. There's a lot of vacation time. But Amazon is has been a game changer. Um, we love getting packages there um on a day-to-day basis, and and particularly this month. So you can you we all know you can get pretty much anything on Amazon on Amazon, um, which is including like a my front step some afternoon.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

It's a regular stop. Yeah, yeah. I know I I know exactly what you're talking about, yeah. Yeah, and hopefully our viewers do as well. Um, can you share more of the details about the drop-off event, uh, including the date, time, and location? Now it's the 23rd.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Yes, right, yes, and where?

SPEAKER_01 16:56

Right at the house.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

And it's right at the Ronald McDonald House. So our parking lot is off of University Avenue. And you just um come on in, you'll be greeted by some of our guest services team members. Those are those folks who are our frontline in in working with families, but also volunteers will be joining us. And uh, you can drop off, you know, we'll have some goodies for folks and just have an opportunity to connect.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

I love that. And uh, I call those people, by the way, the the director of first impression.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

Because you see, that's the first person you're gonna see. And we all know they do a wonderful job.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

Well, I'm gonna borrow that.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

You can you can borrow that.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

You can borrow that anytime you want. The uh director of first impressions. So there you go. Uh, let's say you can't make it on the 23rd. How can they arrange for another time to donate?

SPEAKER_00 17:47

They can give us a call, send an email. Um, again, it's all on our website, and um arrange a time to come, or you know, honestly, just swing on by. Um, someone is there from eight, you know, staffing 8:30 to 10 p.m. at night. Um, probably better to come 8:30 to 6-ish. Yeah, during the um and and drop off. Um, and we'll we'll gratefully accept your your donation.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

And you mentioned gift cards before. I would imagine that's a pretty, pretty awesome thing to do because then you kind of open it up. Let's say you have a Target gift card or a Walmart gift card or maybe even uh an Amazon gift card. So they, you know, whoever can go and get what they need.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

You know, that really is handy because things, especially for the non-perishable items, we like to offer fresh fruits and vegetables as well as we prepare meals for the guest families or as some of those grab and goes. And because they're perishable, we have to go out and uh purchase them at, you know, as needed. So that is really wonderful for us to have those gift cards. And again, sometimes we have folks on special diets, or sometimes our oncology kids are only wanting, you know, mac and cheese or dino nuggets, or I know. So we want to make sure that um we have them available to them and we can we can get them.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

We're chatting with Beth Trumpfio, the president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House right here in the CNY. Uh Beth, Beth, I'm having those issues today, too. Uh, what does it mean to know that Central New York continues to rally behind the Ronald McDonald House year after year?

SPEAKER_00 19:36

More

Community Roots And Lasting Support

SPEAKER_00 19:37

than four for more than 40 years, this community has put families first. And it when we were founded, it was a group of parents that were whose children were receiving oncology care at um upstate medical at the time, is what it was called. And and they, these were local families who saw families traveling from throughout the state to receive care. And they were sleeping in their cars, they were sleeping in waiting rooms because no one wants to leave their child. Totally good. And the cost was overwhelming. So they had heard about the Ronald McDonald houses that were opening, the first in Philadelphia, and they thought this would be an opportunity to provide and support for families. And, you know, they spoke with the oncologist at the time and some of our local McDonald's owners. And that's how how the story goes, really, for all Ronald McDonald's houses that open up. Love it. And that it's that three, uh, that three-legged stool. And they um they pursued opening. So since that time, this community has helped in so many ways. Volunteer support, um, vendor support, um, you know, things, you know, building and you know, some rentos. There's so so much to it. Just the day-to-day operating um is is, you know, is in and of itself.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

I know it's hard to speak about because it is so incredible. Yeah, yeah. And you and your staff, and of course, all the volunteers. And speaking of volunteers, beyond Christmas in July, what are some other ways people can volunteer, donate, or become involved with the Ronald McDonald House?

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Again, uh, to be able to um donate monetarily, we have a uh $1.8 million operating budget now. Um, so that's a wonderful way to engage, serve on one of our committees that helps raise some of those funds, our special event committees, volunteer at the house. Um, I left uh this morning and we had uh a wonderful group from ARC there. Volunteering and helping with some of the day-to-day cleaning and picking up of the grounds. So so many ways to get involved and engaged in the house.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

And if they go to the website, they would see all this. Absolutely. I'm sure there's an email contact.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

There are all of those wish lists.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yeah, that's awesome. And what is the website? Do you know off the top of your head?

SPEAKER_00 22:25

It's www.rmhcny.org.org.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

There you go. It makes it really easy. Uh so let me see here. Where can listeners go find the complete Christmas in July wish list and learn more about the Ronald McDonald House? I think we just answered that. Just go to the website.

SPEAKER_00 22:43

Just go to the website and you will see you will see where to click on the link and see the wish list. Um, you can share that forward in your um, you know, business, organization, friends, families. If you uh go camping regularly, your your campground crew. Um, it's a and let us know. We'd love to share. Yeah. Get back to us. Let us know you're you're doing a wish list drive, and we'd love to share that forward.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Do you get a lot of uh organizations that jump on board with that? I would assume you do, where, you know, let's say we take our company here with our five radio stations in the inner harbor, uh, and say, all right, this is what we're gonna do.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Yes, we we do. Um, and and it it is, it makes all the difference in the world. And and it is it is so impactful. Everything, um, you know, paper towels, um, you know, all of those items, um, you know, gloves for for cooking and serving, um, in addition to snacks. Oh my god. It does. I think if you just think about your own home and all the things that you pick up when you go to the grocery store or, you know, do Instacart or however you shop, we need all of those things times uh hundreds at the Ronald McDonald House.

SPEAKER_01 24:00

Um, you know, you go through a uh drive-thru, you're in a hurry, you gotta stop somewhere quick for lunch, and it comes to uh, I don't know, $3.49 and I'll ask if you want to round up. We have a lot of that going on, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:12

We do. And we say, please round up. It that roundup, those roundup dollars come at our area McDonald's, yes, come right to our local Ronald McDonald house. It is local, it stays here, and it helps to fund and support all of our organization growth. If if you know, in my number of years that I have been there that we spoke about, um, you know, we built in 2012, built and moved into that new, fully handicapped accessible.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

I think you and I had that discussion.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Yeah, we did 40,000 square foot home uh from an original home that had been on East Genesee Street. We have we expanded in into our fourth floor and added family suites that were uh two-bedroom and one-bedroom suite so we could accommodate full families and and keep them together. And then most recently added those hospitality carts. We are able to do that because of the community and because of the support through Roundup.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Before we say goodbye today, how does somebody get involved?

How Families Get Connected To Help

SPEAKER_01 25:19

Let's say a situation where I have to go visit my son who's in the hospital. I need a place to stay. They reach out to you, or how does all that work?

SPEAKER_00 25:29

Their local medical provider will call us and say hey, and say, this family has a medical appointment, or if it's an emergent situation, we have a great relationship with our the local hospitals and social workers and again those clinics. So if it's a planned appointment and they are the appointment sometimes will be, you know, seven in the morning or a test, they have to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. If you're coming from Watertown and you have to get a little one up and maybe some siblings early in the morning, it's not easy. So um, they'll come the night before, have a good rest, and then literally be able to pop over to the hospital and really make it on time for that appointment and alleviate that stress.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

So there you go. That's how you do it. Just saying, because if you need help, get your local provider to reach out, maybe a social worker. They all get in contact with each other and they they make this happen for you if you need it. And I hope you don't, but it's there if you do. And if you don't need it, you can still give because it is so very important that you do that.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

You go on the website that we mentioned, which is one more time www.rmhcny.org. That was a test.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

It was no, but awesome. Uh, I'll be doing that too. Uh, huge thank you to Beth Trumpfeo. She's the uh president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York. Uh, joining us here this morning on the community connection, sharing more about the important work that is happening uh right here in the community. A lot of that, you know, this is the stuff it's like sometimes it's the best kept secret, but it's the most important. And you know, that's one thing I say about a lot of organizations like like yours and and others that you don't hear about it until you need it, but sometimes that's too late. So you got to think about these things. We got a Christmas in July, July 23rd, just July 23rd.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

Come on, right around the corner. Please uh come on down and and visit us. And I'd like to thank you for spotlighting um the Ronald McDonald House today. And I would truly like to thank the community for your more than 40 years of support and caring for families so that they can stay close to their children.

SPEAKER_01 27:43

I made a note of some of the uh donations, for example, of new unopened food items, household essentials, toys, activities, and gift cards make a tremendous difference. Uh, remember that. And also, community members can drop off these donations. As we just mentioned, it's a Thursday, it's July 23rd, beginning at 10 a.m., I'm told. 10 to 4 that day. Yes. Okay. Uh, right at the Ronald McDonald House, East Genesee Street, uh, or support the effort through their online wish list. Uh, Beth, I just thank you for coming in. Thank you for hanging. It's so good to see you. We always do this over the phone. We do. But welcome to the new age of digital. Love it. Love it. Thank you. This has been the community connection. My name is Skip Clark, and it's all part of the Inner Harbor cast, Inner Harbor Media, the beautiful Syracuse Inner Harbor. Thanks for watching, everybody. I want you all to have a great day and rest of the weekend.