Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital has welcomed its 1000th overnight guest family.

The Family Room was opened in December 2013. It’s run by the Ronald McDonald House Charities NZ organisation that provides free accommodation and support to families with children in hospital.

The ‘1000 families’ milestone will be marked over a 10-day period to represent the average length of stay for guest families.

RMHC NZ Family Room Supervisor Helen Walker has worked to ensure the space is welcoming and comfortable for families since it opened nearly nine years ago, in December 2013. She has met almost all of the 1000 families that have stayed to date.

“Every one of those families has had a unique journey with their child in hospital, but the key purpose of our role has always remained the same. It’s based around us taking care of daily necessities to allow families the ability to focus on their child.”

RMHC NZ Community Engagement, Andie Gentle says all local volunteers and supporters, past and present, should share in the milestone too.

“We rely largely on support from the community to keep our doors open for families that need us. Community support enables us to operate, so this is a milestone for Southland to celebrate together.”