Patch Talk: Alison Barrick of the Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay

Rotarians meet weekly, and often to hear from members of the community doing neat things to help others, and especially so in trying and challenging times.

Such was the premise for the recent invitation to Alison Barrick, to speak before the Rotary Club of Brandon South about her work with the Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay.

“I’ve been there for seven years and my job is to get the word out about the Ronald McDonald House,” Barrick said, before her allotted time to speak at the club’s Dec. 7 meeting at the Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club in Valrico.

To provide “a ‘home-away-from-home’ for pediatric families,” there are four Ronald McDonald houses in the Tampa Bay area: three in St. Petersburg and one in Tampa. Collectively, they provide 80 bedrooms with private baths.

Owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay, the homes in 2010 provided care for 1,787 families, from 27 states and 17 countries, who stayed in Tampa Bay an average of 7.7 days to be near a hospitalized child.

A Brandon resident, Barrick said her job is to do everything it takes to build and nurture the Ronald McDonald House brand image, including the relationships it takes to get the work done.

Everything from graphic design, to speeches, to billboards, to social media networking, to “bus routes, television and radio,” she said. “Everything you see about the Ronald McDonald House is my area.”

Brandon Patch sat down to chat with Barrick before her talk with the Rotarians.

BRANDON PATCH: What did you know about the Ronald McDonald House before you started working there?

• BARRICK: Like most people, I knew it had something to do with sick kids, I knew what they do is good, but beyond that, I didn’t know much.

BRANDON PATCH: What did you quickly find out?

• BARRICK: I didn’t realize it had so much to do with the families, that really it’s the families who stay in the Ronald McDonald House while their children are in the hospital.

BRANDON PATCH: And by “families” you mean . . .

• BARRICK: Aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, all immediate relatives.

BRANDON PATCH: How does it feel to be in this line of work?

• BARRICK: I’ve never worked for such a rewarding organization. I didn’t go to work for them for the pay. I took a big salary cut [coming here]. The rewards you get are when a child hugs you, when the parents hug you, and they say, “I don’t know what we would have done without the Ronald McDonald House.’ I hear that over and over again.

BRANDON PATCH: What about you suits you in your work as a marketing and communications manager?

• BARRICK: I’m very creative and inquisitive and outgoing. I’m a talker, so it was just a natural fit for me. I like to help people. I like to get things done.

BRANDON PATCH: What advice do you have for people looking to work in marketing in the nonprofit sector?

• BARRICK: Find a nonprofit you are passionate about. I happen to be so fortunate to work for one of the most phenomenal charities around. Our people in Tampa Bay never leave. They retire out. We are so touched by the people we serve. We see how we make a difference every day.

BRANDON PATCH:  You seem to have answered that question for yourself with the Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay.

• BARRICK: It’s given me something to be passionate about. People always say to me, “You’re good at what you do.” I’m good at what I do because I’m passionate about this charity and about the work we do.

BRANDON PATCH: How can people help?

• BARRICK: Like any other charity out there, we’re struggling because we’re providing more service with less income. With the economy today, it’s very important to keep the services going. [Toward that end], we beg, borrow and barter.

BRANDON PATCH: Your advice to others, including the Rotarians?

• BARRICK: Go and volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House. You’ll get to know what we do. Make friends, network and [know that] you’re giving back, to a very worthy cause.