2006 Press Releases
Ronald McDonald House Charities Team Visits Latvia
Riga, July 24, 2006. – At the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Catherine Todd Bailey’s invitation, a team from the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) will visit Latvia from July 24 until July 28 to assess the situation at children’s hospitals and orphanages, and look for possible areas of cooperation. The RMHC team will consist of Janet Burton, senior director of RMHC, Laurel Schumm, special projects manager and John Falleta, board member and a pediatric doctor.
Ambassador Bailey says that through her personal experience in creating a foundation to help children in need she has learned the importance of building and maintaining a supportive environment where children can grow and feel safe. She notes that “by creating programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, Ronald McDonald House Charities is working to better the lives of children and their families around the world. The visit this week of senior members of the Ronald McDonald House Charities which is affiliated with Corporate McDonalds from Oakbrook, Illinois is a wonderful opportunity for Latvia to demonstrate its efforts toward improving the lives of Latvia’s children. I am extremely pleased to be giving a full week of working together on this cooperation”.
The RMHC team will be introduced to the situation of children’s care in Latvia through visits and meetings with government officials and hospital representatives. During the visit, they will meet with Ambassador Bailey, Speaker of Saeima Ingrida Udre, Minister of Health Gundars Berzins and representatives of the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. The delegation will also pay a visit to the Children’s Hospital in Riga.
Besides the program in Riga, the team members will travel to visit the “Naujiene” orphanage in Daugavpils region, “Auseklitis” orphanage in Daugavpils city, “Abelite” orphanage in Ludza region, “Children’s Oasis” in Ludza region, and Grasi Children’s Village in Madona region.
Ronald McDonald House Charities is a global force, which works in nearly 50 countries to break down barriers, to build bridges and to find solutions to the most urgent problems facing children and families today. The mission of RMHC is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children’s lives through its global network of local chapters and different programs.
RMHC’s most popular programs are:
- Ronald McDonald House program – the mission is to provide a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. The house serves a temporary residence for family members where they can satisfy basic needs and find a support from other families in similar situations;
- Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program – it provides cost-effective medical, dental and education services which are located in a comfortable and well equipped vehicle;
- Ronald McDonald Family Room program – this program’s mission is to serve a place of respite for family members to step away from the stressful hospital environment.
U.S. Embassy, Riga, Public Affairs Section
Smilsu iela 7
Riga, LV 1050
Phone: 371 750-9022
Internet: www.usembassy.lv
Media specialist's e-mail: ruklisk@state.gov