142: No Family Should Ever Face This Alone ft. Beth Trunfio

In this episode, host Alex sits down with Beth Trunfio — President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Central New York — for a conversation about what it really means to lead a mission-driven organization for nearly three decades, and show up every single day for families in the most vulnerable moments of their lives.Beth joined Ronald McDonald House Central New York in 1999 when it was a $300,000 nonprofit with a staff of three. Over the past 25 years, she has transformed it into a nearly $2 million organization, led a $6 million capital campaign to build their current facility, oversaw a major expansion in 2024 that added six new family suites, and launched the Hospitality Cart Program in 2025 to bring the mission directly into local hospitals.But this conversation isn't really about the numbers.It's about the parents sleeping in hospital hallways and cars because their child needed care and they weren't going anywhere. It's about the physician who mortgaged a house and slept on the floor so families would have somewhere to go. It's about what happens when ordinary people see an extraordinary need and refuse to walk away from it. And it's about what it actually takes to lead something this important — for this long, with this much heart.💬 Topics we cover:What Ronald McDonald House actually does — and why most people don't fully understand it until they walk through the doorsThe founding story of the original House and the female physician who started it allHow Beth grew a $300,000 nonprofit into a nearly $2 million organization and what that growth really looked likeWhy illness doesn't discriminate and what it means to serve every family regardless of incomeWhat the real magic of Ronald McDonald House is — and why it happens over a bag of trail mix or a cup of coffeeWhat nearly 40 years of nonprofit leadership has taught Beth about people, mission, and what it means to lead with others — not above themIf you've ever dropped spare change into a collection box and wondered where it was going — this is the episode that will change the way you see that moment forever.New episodes drop every Monday. Ready to Cultivate? Hit Subscribe.Check out Ronald McDonald House CNY upcoming events⛺️ Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Camp Collective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📝 Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎥 Follow Cultivate with Alex Canavan on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to be a guest on CultivateConnect with Alex Canavan, the host of Cultivate on her ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Diam Media Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠