Nothing can be harder than dealing with the emotional pain of having a sick child. So many things swirl through your head, the last of which may be where to stay during that traumatic time.
Ronald McDonald House started in 1983 to alleviate some of the problems. They provide a “home-away-from-home” to help families through their difficult time.
“The House is actually three separate buildings. In two of the buildings, families have their own private rooms, sharing communal living areas, kitchens, a pantry, dining areas, laundry, computer rooms, playrooms, a home theater, workout room, teen room and library. Spaces are available for our families to gather and share concerns; others allow them to be alone, to read a book or watch television.”
Funded by charitable donations of individuals, corporations and foundations, the House has quadrupled in capacity to 80 guests per night. None of the funding comes from the federal government.
“In 2012, we provided over 28,000 nights of housing to nearly 650 families. We offer our House to the families of any seriously ill children who live at least 45 miles away while undergoing treatment at Seattle Children’s,” according to their website.
Why Ronald McDonald? From early on, the organization had deep support from Ray Kroc’s empire. Gerald Newman, Chief Accounting Officer for McDonald’s Corporation, was “one of the founders of Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities and was president of R.M.C.C.
Ronald McDonald was chosen as the mascot because he was a character many children and families recognized and trusted.ch
Over the years, Ronald McDonald House has grown and reached out to other cities. It now has over 300 Houses in 57 countries around the world as part of the global Ronald McDonald House Charities.