(Joplin, MO) – Members of Freeman Auxiliary — the fundraising and project-driven arm of Freeman Health System — presented a $10,000 check to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States officials Tuesday morning.
Auxiliary President Kay Glendenning passed the check to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States Executive Director Lori Jones.
Each year, members of the Freeman Auxiliary raise funds through the Freeman Gift Gallery, located inside Freeman West, and various sales and events. The donated funds help advance the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States in the Joplin region.
Freeman Auxiliary supports several programs — with Ronald McDonald House chief among them — with monies raised at the Freeman Gift Gallery and fundraisers held throughout the year.
Additionally, as Freeman Auxiliary and board member Jim Rhea explained, the Auxiliary’s efforts also heighten the patient experience. “One of our functions is to go down to the nursery and see the newborns and the families of the newborns as we deliver things or help people get to the right location. So as a volunteer, you have the opportunity to meet and greet a lot of people and in the case of Ronald McDonald House, the families of the children who are in the NICU.
Rhea called Ronald McDonald House “a treasure in our community, and something that needs to be supported across the board, throughout our community and beyond. It provides services not just for Joplin residents but for people from far, far away who are traveling here. Ronald McDonald House is here, without questions, to help those families whether they’re from Joplin, or Ohio, or New York, or California.”
Freeman Auxiliary’s spirit of generosity toward Ronald McDonald House has endured since 1995, when the then Auxiliary President Dorothy Storm made a pledge to bring the charity — a beautiful “home away from home” for Freeman pediatric patients and their families during some of life’s most difficult moments — to Southwest Missouri.
Jones called the presentation “a celebration of both the donation and the relationship” between Freeman Auxiliary and Ronald McDonald House.
“Freeman Health System has been a founding partner since the house was originally built, so for almost 30 years those Auxiliary members have been volunteering over at the hospital, in the gift shops and all throughout the hospital and the funds they raise help up do what we do here at the Ronald McDonald House.”
According to Jones, donations like the Auxiliary’s keep Ronald McDonald house running. “Twenty-four-seven, 365 days a year, we are serving families, so the house is always open, so this money helps underwrite some of those costs. We are 100-percent community funded, so those donations help us serve these families meals and help keep the lights on.”
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2024, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers and their experiences. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System one of the Best Hospitals for 2022. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
Reference:
Kevin McClintock, Media Relations Coordinator
Freeman Health System
417.434.3458
KSMcclintock@freemanhealth.com
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