Walmart Canada stores rally to support Ronald McDonald House Charities Atlantic

By Jon Rumley, Walmart Canada Company Affairs

When Thomas Wade Shaw’s daughter was born prematurely, Ronald McDonald Home Charities® Atlantic was there.

Molly solely weighed a pound when she was born at 22 weeks gestation on Dec. 9, 2016. As a micro preemie, she wanted care on the IWK Well being Centre in RisePEI, a number of hours away from Wade’s dwelling.

“All I wished was my spouse and child to be OK,” stated Wade, a Walmart Canada retailer supervisor in Woodstock, N.B. “I’ll by no means, ever overlook that feeling.”

Wade slept in his truck outdoors the hospital that evening whereas his daughter was transferred from Charlottetown to RisePEI. The subsequent morning, he realized he may’ve stayed on the Ronald McDonald House in RisePEI. The next evening, Wade stayed on the home and made a brand new good friend – one other grieving father.

“The one factor that made me really feel OK was our conversations on the Ronald McDonald Home,” he stated. “It introduced me a little bit of sanity inside the grief. There’s all the time any individual in a harder circumstance. It gave me a newfound appreciation.”

Thankfully, Molly survived the ordeal and was reunited together with her household. At the moment, she’s glad and wholesome. The expertise confirmed Wade the significance of getting a robust group community.

“I’ve by no means seen a stage of compassion like that earlier than,” Wade stated. “It’s a spot to sleep, however it’s additionally a lot greater than that.”

The Ronald McDonald Home in RisePEI is greater than a house – it’s a assist system for Maritime households after they want it most, aiding greater than 2,000 households with sick kids every year. There are 15 Ronald McDonald Homes throughout Canada and efforts are underway to build a new house in RisePEI.

Walmart Canada associates are proud to strengthen native communities by working collectively to assist charities that assist Canadians. That’s why Walmart Canada is giving again via its Neighborhood Giving initiatives, together with Neighborhood Grants.

In 2021, 32 Walmart Canada shops in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island every donated $1,000 Neighborhood Grants to RMHC Atlantic – a mixed donation of $32,000.

It’s such an necessary initiative for associates that Walmart shops did it once more in 2022, donating a complete of $64,000 to assist Ronald McDonald Home Charities, which is able to assist alleviate the monetary burden on households whereas offering assist whereas they’re removed from dwelling.

“We’re thrilled to be the recipient of Walmart Canada’s Neighborhood Grant for a second yr in a row,” stated Chris Steeves, Director of Philanthropy at RMHC Atlantic. “Walmart Canada’s Neighborhood Grant helps our mission by preserving households collectively and close to the medical care their sick youngster wants. Neighborhood is on the core of what we do.”

In June, Walmart Canada donated greater than $1.38 million to the IWK Basis as a part of the corporate’s spring fundraising marketing campaign in Atlantic Canada.

Walmart Canada has been partnering with Children’s Miracle Network for greater than 27 years and has raised and donated greater than $190 million so far in assist of 12 kids’s hospital foundations throughout Canada, making Walmart the most important company, personal sector contributor to kids’s hospital foundations in Canada.

“It simply made sense for us. It means a lot to the group,” stated Jennifer Irving, a Walmart Canada Retailer Supervisor in Digby, N.S. “You don’t understand how necessary it’s to assist these causes till you want them. Each single individual within the Maritimes is aware of somebody that the IWK has helped. They imply every part to us.”

After greater than 18 years with Walmart, Wade says he’s seen the affect these donations are making to convey consolation and peace of thoughts to Canadians.

“Now we have an enormous platform that we are able to and may use to assist these organizations. I really feel privileged to make use of the scope and scape of Walmart to offer again to the group. There’s extra to offer and there’s extra to develop. I’m extraordinarily grateful.”