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It has been so long since you brought this problem to their attention, and to ours. Has there been any resolution? No response or action on their part could be interpreted as guilt. I certainly hope that is not the situation here. I for one am hoping to hear it was all a big misunderstanding/training/communication issue and the problem has been resolved to EQ's satisfaction.
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The RMH field manager for my region has contacted me twice assuring me he is investigating the matter and has asked for my patience. I will give him that courtesy.
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Well, it's been a while and I was wondering if the problem ever got resolved.
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hmmm... wonder if it's the proverbial 'run-around'... or wait long enough and everybody will forget all about it - ya think?
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There was a resolution described in a separate post. I don't have a link to it, though. Basically it was all a misunderstanding, but strange that the local manager did not take steps to clarify it. It did get all straightened out in the end, though.
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http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-40818-1.htm
here is the link with the resolution |
thank you for posting the link
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Interesting post.
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Originally Posted by kwhite
I would e-mail the both back again and let them know if they do not reply by "X" date I would be going up the chain to the RMH corporate level. I bet you will get your response.
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Ronald McDonald House quilts
I have just come across this inquiry about the quilts made for Ronald McDonald House quilts being sold. These quilts were made to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday and more than 1,000 quilts were made and given for families of sick children who spend some time at any of the Ronald McDonald House in Canada.
I was at a party the other night and one lady got excited when she found out I was a quilter. She told me she has a friend who has a really good job at the Ronald McDonald house in our city. She told me that her friend gave her one of the quilts made for the 150th birthday of Canada. I was shocked and told her those quilts were made for the families of the sick children. She didn't know what to say and came out with the quilt was raffled. I am at wits end as to what to do with this information. If I go to the director of the Ronald McDonald house in our city, it might be the lady who gave the quilt to her friend. Don't know where to go with this information. I think I will ask one of the ladies who quilted most of the quilts in our city if some of these quilts were raffled. Maybe she would do some inquiries.
Originally Posted by Extreme Quilter
(Post 836022)
I donate quilts regularly and frequently to many charitable organizations and never thought I would be writing this.
I donated five quilts and three quilted storybooks to Ronald McDonald House in my neighborhood about three weeks ago. Prior to doing this, I contacted the director by e-mail to ask if they were interested, and she responded immediately to this e-mail and another e-mail setting up a delivery time. When I delivered the quilts and storybooks, the director was not in and the staffer who received these items bubbled with enthusiasm and gave me a receipt. A few days later, I received an e-mail from an unknown person who said her daughter had "bought two quilts" from RMH that she thought were "so pretty." She wanted me to make one for her bed and asked me to call her. I wondered if she was a patient's mother, who her daughter was, and if my quilts were being sold rather than going directly to the ailing children. I e-mailed the director asking for clarification. The director did not reply but forwarded my inquiry to the staffer who handled my donation. This staffer e-mailed me and asked for my home phone number to discuss "this little misunderstanding." Since I choose not to give out my phone number, I wrote back to her asking her to clarify by e-mail. She did not reply. After a week, I e-mailed the director again with a "cc" to the staffer, asking for clarification and stating that the staffer did not reply to my inquiry. I was ignored again. What would you think under these circumstances? That RMH makes it a practice to sell quilts for profit unbeknownst to the quilter? That they purposely mislead quilters to think their handiwork goes to the children? Why would they choose not to answer if they have nothing to hide? Would you let the matter drop or would you contact national headquarters? I feel hoodwinked and duped. Thanks for your input. |
Originally Posted by kwhite
(Post 836150)
I would e-mail the both back again and let them know if they do not reply by "X" date I would be going up the chain to the RMH corporate level. I bet you will get your response.
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That is a very sad story especially when you assume the time consuming beautiful quilts are being given to children in need. I had a similar incident-my mom was in a nursing home for 2 yrs before she passed and I took out gift cards to 3 nurses with a long thank you note for each of them for all of their good care they gave my mother while a patient there. I went out to deliver the notes personally and ask for the ladies and the one nurse said "oh-I will take them and give the cards to them". In the pocket the cards went and I never heard anything after that. I feel the gift cards were kept by the one nurse and never handed out. It happens I guess. So sorry to hear of your dilemma.
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Originally Posted by Notimetoquilt
(Post 7983621)
If I go to the director of the Ronald McDonald house in our city, it might be the lady who gave the quilt to her friend. Don't know where to go with this information.
This part of my personality sometimes drives my husband nuts, but I'm the kind of person who would ask the director (without any kind of preamble or warning) and if it turns out that she DID give the quilt to her friend, I'd raise holy hell with their corporate offices and on social media. If she's stealing donated quilts - and let's face it, it IS stealing - what else is she stealing or misappropriating??? |
I would feel that the person who gave you the RMH receipt didn't log it into the records of RMH and is selling them and keeping the $. And I would contact McDonalds HQ and tell them what happened to see if they care at all. Of course, they would get no more donation quilts from me ever, too.
Unfortunately, there are bad folks in every organization , whether for profit or non-profit. |
"Too good" to be given out to the folks having the emergency, so they kept them for themselves. Selfish thieves hiding behind the impression of doing good deeds. I think I would have called the police to report the theft and pushed to have the case prosecuted or the management fired. Those quilts are probably not the only donations that have been stolen.
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The label is a good idea, especially if it is already on the quilt back when ithe quilt is quilted. To take the label off, the quilting would have to be picked out, which could ruin the quilt.
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Goodwill is a FOR PROFIT organization. They pay their workers extremely low wages, allegedly because their workers are handicapped and couldn't get a job otherwise. It still costs $ to get to work, to have lunch, etc. It's quite a racket for the Goodwill company.
I NEVER donate to Goodwill since I found that out. I have bought fabric there because I use it for charity quilts. The one near me has changed managers and is not run well anymore, so I'm not even doing that now. |
In a perfect world, what you suggest could happen. But we aren't in a perfect world! I belong to two guilds and bring our donated quilts to one of the charities we give to. I put them on the shelves, so I know they get there. I have also worked with kids who come in to shop - everything is free to them - and have helped them pick out quilts and pillow cases. I have also seen the pillow cases used at a free Christmas party for the kids. Each child is given a pillow case and then they go play some low tech, old school carnival type games, and win prizes. The prizes are then put into the pillow cases, and at the end of the party, the kids carry their loot home in the pillow cases.
Even so, I can't 100% tell you that all of the quilts are given to the children because I am not there 100% of the time. At some point in the process we have to trust those we work with. That is the real problem with the RMH issue. The trust has been broken, or seems to have been broken. One of the guilds used to give baby quilts to the local hospital, but found out that they were being sold in the gift shop for $10. That was less than it cost us (time and materials) to make the quilts, so we stopped giving them to the hospital. However, that might have been our fault - we may not have made it clear to the hospital who the quilts were for or what they were actually worth. Since I wasn't part of the process, I can't say more than that. |
No pitchforks and torches here, Patricia. We all know that making quilts is both creative, fun, expensive and time consuming. So when we give them to a charity, we also want to know that our quilts go to those that are supposed to get them. It should not be a surprise to the charity that someone would ask about disposition of a donation.
If the director had simply responded to the request for information about the quilts, there would probably be a fast resolution/no lingering doubts. In this particular case, silence increases the suspicion of theft. |
I very much agree that there needs to be some clarification in this instance. First and foremost, the quilts you made were specifically donated to be given to the children served by RMH. If the quilts were donated to be sold, then the suspicion of improper handling would not exist. In this case, you clearly set forth that the quilts were to be given to the children served by RMH. Several years ago, I was a board member and officer of a non-profit organization (located in Florida). Funds had been donated to the organization for a specified purpose, involving services provided by the organization to military personnel. Cash donations had been obtained and the funds were specifically earmarked for that purpose only. About 3 years ago, the organization lost the ability to provide the services for which the cash donations were given. After researching the issue, it was determined that Florida has a state statute which specifically prohibits using donations specifically earmarked by the donors for any other purpose. The non-profit organization ultimately decided that using the donations for purposes other than specified by the donors would be a violation of state statutes and also discredit the non-profit organization. For that reason, the donations were returned to the original donors (most of which were also non-profit organizations). I do believe that RMH authorities at the corporate level need to be aware of the situation. So, yes, I think you really need to resolve this matter for your own peace of mind. Items donated specifically to be given to victims should not, IMHO, be sold. And, the staffer should absolutely not have given your email address to anyone without your specific permission. That would definitely disturb me.
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Jeanette this thread is a few years old, the situation was resolved. See post #126.
Cari |
I am glad to read that this matter has been resolved and it was truly a matter of miscommunication. I had an experience some years ago where I donated both crochet afghans and quilts to a group called Because we care. The woman in charge stated that all donations would go to needy children. Found out she was picking out the "best" ones and selling them. I would not have cared except she never gave any accounting of where that money went. I was very leery of donating after that. I have since found a head start program at my church and every year the children come downstairs where the quilts are laid out and each child picks their own. I really know where the quilts are going and all the children are so happy.
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(noticed it's an old post and deleted my comment)
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Originally Posted by Cari-in-Oly
(Post 7983846)
this thread is a few years old, the situation was resolved. See post #126.
Cari Michelle |
I was at a party the other night and one lady got excited when she found out I was a quilter. She told me she has a friend who has a really good job at the Ronald McDonald house in our city. She told me that her friend gave her one of the quilts made for the 150th birthday of Canada. I was shocked and told her those quilts were made for the families of the sick children. She didn't know what to say and came out with the quilt was raffled. I am at wits end as to what to do with this information. If I go to the director of the Ronald McDonald house in our city, it might be the lady who gave the quilt to her friend. Don't know where to go with this information. I think I will ask one of the ladies who quilted most of the quilts in our city if some of these quilts were raffled. Maybe she would do some inquiries. Those quilts were to go to families and children who had to stay a RMH due to illness. NOT be given out to friends. I would definitely speak to the director of the local RMH and ask for an explanation. Even if they don't know anything about it, it will give them a heads up that this is happening and they can take steps to put a stop to it. Watson |
Originally Posted by Rainy Day
(Post 1062495)
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-40818-1.htm
here is the link with the resolution |
Originally Posted by NZquilter
(Post 7984272)
This situation has been resolved with positive, understandable outcome. This thread was started 8 years ago...
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Originally Posted by mkc
(Post 7984276)
The original situation from the first post, yes, but see post #130 - another member has bumped this thread with a similar, more recent situation.
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