Over the years, the MVC Coordinating Center has spent time creating a set of fundamental principles that we strive to underpin our everyday culture. Our core values of collaboration, respect, curiosity, and courage continue to prove extremely valuable in helping guide our ongoing activity and shape how we work and interact with MVC members and other stakeholders. One such way in which the MVC team has put these core values into action over the last twelve months is through our regular volunteering efforts with the local community. In the last year, the MVC team has spent time partnering with the Ronald McDonald House, MHealthy, and Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation to build connections, strengthen relationships, and extend impact beyond our four walls.
The Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor (RMHCAA) is a special place that provides a supportive home away from home for families of children receiving treatment. Since opening three decades ago, RMHCAA has welcomed over 26,000 families, offering comfortable living spaces in close proximity to the hospital so that family members can take care of themselves knowing their child is just minutes away. As part of this support, families are not only provided with a place to stay but are also cared for in many other ways, including the provision of hot meals. These dinners provide families with a break from the hospital and time away to connect with others going through similar experiences.
Towards the end of last year, the MVC team were fortunate to spend some time supporting this great endeavor. Representatives from MVC participated in the program’s “Chef for a Day” initiative, planning, shopping, and delivering a home-cooked meal for the families. This volunteering experience was extremely meaningful and reminded us of what remains at the center of MVC’s daily work – ensuring patients and caregivers in Michigan receive the right care and feel supported throughout their care journey. We’ll be back volunteering with RMHCAA towards the end of this year and if you too are interested in sharing your time or donating, you can find out more here.
MVC Coordinating Center team volunteering at RMHCAA
Fast forward to summer (if only…) and our next volunteering event took us to supporting MHealthy’s “Project Healthy Schools” (PHS) program. PHS is a school-based health promotion program designed to prevent childhood obesity and improve the present and future health of youth. For two decades, PHS has used interactive lessons and wellness activities to help middle school students and staff increase physical activity, eat healthier, and truly understand how nutrition and exercise can influence lifelong health.
In April of this year, the MVC team spent time supporting the organization’s “Maize and Blue Health U” event at the Big House. This gave us the chance to prove we are all still athletes at heart, partnering with University of Michigan student athletes to deliver engaging and fun physical activity exercises to over 330 students from four different middle schools. We might have been sore the next morning but as a team, we found great value in extending our commitment to sustainable, high-value healthcare beyond the clinical setting and into the student community.
MVC Coordinating Center team volunteering for MHealthy’s “Project Healthy Schools” (PHS) “Maize and Blue Health U” event at the Big House
Our most recent volunteering activity with Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation took us to Leslie Park for a park cleanup day. Our local parks and built environment play a key role in creating accessible spaces for people to play, exercise, connect, and quite simply, spend time outdoors. This, in turn, impacts directly on physical health and mental wellbeing. Spending time as a team to support park cleanup is a simple and effective way of investing in the health of those in our community. After a good few hours picking weeds, the park’s play structure was ready for action again, providing a fun space for kids (and their adults) to get outside and be active.
To learn more about the organizations mentioned, please visit the websites of Ronald McDonald House Ann Arbor, Project Healthy Schools, and Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation. If your team has a similar partnership in place with a local community-based organization then please let us know – we would be happy to highlight this work on your behalf. Similarly, if you are interested in partnering with the MVC team on an upcoming volunteering activity, we would love to explore a potential collaboration.