Facebook LIVE: Meet Amber Kaylor, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois!

10/21/2020 RMHC Central Illinois

Learn more about her and get a sneak peak of what’s in store for RMHCCI in the coming months!
Read Amber's remarks...

A Transcript of Our Q&A Facebook LIVE: "Meet Amber Kaylor"

Tell us a little bit about yourself Amber.

I am the new CEO. I have been here since the end of August. I am originally from Decatur, and still live in Decatur. I cover the entire central Illinois region. We have 29 counties, and I travel between the Springfield House and the Peoria House.

Where did you serve before coming to Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Illinois?

I was the President and CEO of Children’s Museum of Illinois. I was there for close to 5 years.

What does it mean to be with an organization like this?

I have been with nonprofit for 10+ years and this was a very nice transition for me, since in my past role we were also serving children and families. This role I am serving children and families too, just on a larger scale in a different capacity. Being in any nonprofit role, you goal is to serve your community and the people. That is the heart of every nonprofit; how can we serve.

Speaking of service, what does RMHCCI do for the communities it serves?

It is twofold. We are in the community, but the people staying in the houses are not people who live in the community. There is a sense of pride and ownership that is just tremendous. Especially in Peoria because the House is so new and so many people were involved in building it from the ground up and seeing it come to life. We have been in Springfield since 1986, and we really are a staple in that community, and that sense of pride shows. But then there is the service to the communities around us. There are 29 counties that we are serving. It is a tremendous gift to tell a family that we have a place for you. We have a home away from home for you while your child is being taken care, and the only thing you need focus on is their health and wellbeing. We will take care of everything else.

What is in store for the future with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois?

We just got through several events. We are gearing up for the Home for the Holidays campaign. This is an opportunity for people to donate to the Houses or sponsor different activities to be able to provide that home away from home for our families. For us it is about continuing to serve. We obviously have challenges right now with the pandemic. Our goal is to make families feel none of that, to come here and feel taken care of, and to not have to worry about anything.

Tell us about yourself outside of the Houses.

I have been married for...7 years...and my husband is Bryan. He is a 22-year police officer and serves as a detective in Decatur. We have one son Maddox who is 5. That is my world. I am with them and doing family things and soaking up our time together.

How can people watching get involved?

You can visit our website and donate easily right from the home page. Monetary gifts can be given here. That is a wonderful way to help. It takes about $88 a night to house a family, so that is something to keep in mind when thinking about a donation amount. There are also other opportunities such as our Wishlist of things the Houses need, opportunities to provide a meal for the families that are there, and a number of other ways to get involved. You can also connect with our Facebook page and other social media channels so you can follow us and support us that way as well.