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Carrie Romano loves to help people.
She spent a decade with the YWCA at various positions, including development director, and was instrumental in the recent expansion of the YWCA domestic violence shelter in Salt Lake City. Now, the 41-year-old University of Utah grad has been hired to lead the charity that provides housing for families with seriously ill children seeking care at Salt Lake City hospitals.
Known as "the house that love built," the facility's real name is the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area Inc.
"I feel so lucky to have this job," Romano said. "It felt exactly right from the first day."
Romano, who graduated from Salt Lake County's Cottonwood High School in 1988, went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at the U. She and husband Anthony Cordova have an 11-year-old daughter.
Her experience at the YWCA will complement her duties at the Ronald McDonald House. The charity's $1.3 million annual budget is funded completely by private donations.
Last year, the nonprofit organization served 1,800 families -- about 5,000 people -- who stayed at the South Temple residence anywhere from several days to several months.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a "home away from home for families who have an intensely ill child and are coming from rural areas," Romano said.
It can accommodate up to 45 families per night. Staff and volunteers provide housing, food and transportation for families facing expensive health crises and time away from work, Romano explained. "I've met families who have told me they'd be bankrupt without this place."
They are asked to make a $15 per night donation, but no one is turned away for inability to pay.
At the Ronald McDonald House, families meet, commiserate and console each other. A cork board filled with snapshots of kids and families attests that they aren't alone, said Liza Springmeyer, the volunteer coordinator.
And their emotions run the spectrum from happy parents whose child has been cured of a severe condition to those crushed by the loss of a young son or daughter.
"The first condolence card I signed stopped me in my tracks," said Romano, who has held her new position for a little more than a month. "I couldn't imagine what that would be like for a parent."
The Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake City, one of 300 worldwide, partners with Primary Children's Medical Center, Shriners Hospital for Children, LDS Hospital and University of Utah facilities, including the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
"It's so important that we continue those strong relationships so that our housing services continue to meet the needs of pediatric health services," Romano said.
She oversees 10 full-time and 11 part-time staffers. An army of volunteers also helps power the operation that began in 1988. Until recently, it was guided by Frances Gillmor, who retired as chief executive officer after 15 years at the helm.
Romano is the right person to carry Gillmor's legacy forward, said Anne Burkholder, chief executive officer of the YWCA, Salt Lake City.
"Carrie is a very warm and talented person. And she is a terrific fundraiser," Burkholder said. "Ronald McDonald House is tremendously lucky to have her as its new executive director."
The day may not be too far off that, like the YWCA, the Ronald McDonald House will expand its South Temple location. The old Conoco station next door at South Temple and M Street is gone, and the nonprofit owns the land.
More families will need the services offered by the staff and volunteers of the Ronald McDonald House, Romano said.
"Philanthropy will save the world," she said. "I'm convinced."
How to help
The Ronald McDonald House has a variety of donation programs. The charity needs volunteers who can help with fund-raising, preparing food, driving and other things. Get more information at http://www.rmhslc.org or call 801-363-4663.