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There’s a special kind of “happy” that comes from knowing you’ve made a positive difference in someone’s day! The Payworks crew is always eager and ready to lend a hand, and this past McHappy Day in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) across Canada was no exception.
Photo: In Winnipeg, members of our Partnerships team got together in-store on McHappy Day to support RMHC.
On May 8 and from coast to coast, our team gathered at their local McDonald’s locations to raise awareness, collect donations and bring plenty of smiles to the faces of their community neighbours. Back at the office, staff celebrated McHappy Day with the chance to win McDonald’s gift cards and a round of McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches, hashbrowns and coffee for all to enjoy (with a portion of all proceeds going to RMHC as always!). And all for good reason: as a crucial community resource, RMHC serves over 26,000 families each year.
How so? RMHC locations “provide a place for families to stay together, steps away from a children’s hospital” when their child is seriously ill and receiving treatment. With two out of every three Canadian families living outside a city with a specialty children’s hospital, RMHC fills a significant gap by alleviating a portion of both the expenses and the logistical stress associated with these very challenging circumstances. Families are welcomed into a warm, nurturing environment close to their child’s medical team, fed nutritious meals to help keep their energy up, and given the opportunity to connect with and support each other in trying times.
Over the past 30 years, McHappy Day has raised over $100 million for RMHC and other local children’s charities supporting families across Canada. But while McHappy Day is a longtime staff favourite way to support RMHC, it’s far from the only one!
Photo: Getting festive for Halloween in Payworks’ Salmon River room at Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon in Vancouver, BC.
For many years, we’ve gathered together at RMHC locations in our home communities across Canada to lend tangible support to their guests. Through RMHC’s Home for Dinner volunteer program, our staff has prepared countless home-cooked dinners to nourish families at the end of a long day. And for those looking for an on-the-go pick me up, we’ve baked snacks and treats through RMHC’s Home Sweet Home Baking volunteer program as well.
Photo: Members of our Toronto team making “grab and go lunches” at RMHC Toronto.
In both programs, menus are planned, ingredients are sourced and recipes are turned into tasty meals by the volunteer teams, who are proud to collaborate with each other and own the process from start to finish. During these visits, we’re also delighted to see how the RMHC houses have evolved over the years and to revisit our previous handiwork – we’ve painted walls, assembled bedframes, mopped floors and done whatever else it’s taken to help get new spaces ready to welcome guests!
Photo: Throwback to two members of our Product team getting some RMHC Manitoba rooms “guest ready” in 2016.
There are plenty of offsite opportunities to actively support RMHC as well – with “active” being the operative word! Across the country, Payworks is pleased to sponsor golf tournaments supporting RMHC (including serving as a 2024 Provincial Golf Matching Gift Sponsor of RMHC Alberta’s many upcoming events) and to get our own teams out for some fun in the sun. We’ve named RMHC Saskatchewan as the beneficiary of past sponsored Saskatoon Blades game night fundraising efforts, and in Ontario we stoked our competitive fires by participating in RMHC’s Great Games Challenge. You may have even caught our very own Senior Marketing Manager, Amanda Soloway, interviewed about RMHC’s community impact on RMHC Ottawa’s recent annual Radiothon!
Photo: This cross-departmental Payworks crew enjoyed hitting the links at RMHC Manitoba’s 2023 FORE! THE HOUSE golf tournament.
Payworks is proud to be a longtime supporter of RMHC and payroll partner of many of their houses across the country. We thank the dedicated teams at RMHC for all they do to bolster the holistic health of Canadian children and their families. You inspire us every day!
To learn more about how Payworks is honoured to pay our success forward, please visit our website: https://www.payworks.ca/about-us/pay-it-forward/.
