Get to Know RMHC® This Holiday Season

You’ve heard of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) and its affiliation with McDonald’s. This holiday season, take time to really get to know RMHC – its history, its mission, and how you can help the organization continue to make a difference for sick children and their families around the world.  

45 years of RMHC

In 1974, McDonald’s franchises in Philadelphia raised funds (through a Shamrock Shake® promotion!) to help buy a house near Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). It opened later that year as the first-ever Ronald McDonald House®, giving families a place to stay, for little to no cost, when they must travel far from home for their child’s medical care.

Today, over 275 Chapters exist in 64 countries and regions, providing services to families with ill or injured children through three core RMHC programs. 

There are 373+ Ronald McDonald House programs, which provide a place for families to call home so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little to no cost.  

There are 259+ Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs, which offer families a place to rest and regroup right at the hospital, just moments away from their sick child. 

And there are 49+ Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® programs, which are state-of-the-art art mobile care units built specifically for delivering pediatric health care services to under-served areas. Each vehicle includes a minimum of two patient examination rooms, a laboratory, and reception and medical records areas. 

At nearly every Ronald McDonald House, families can enjoy home-cooked meals, private bedrooms, playrooms for children and more. Ronald McDonald Family Room programs will often offer shower facilities, sleeping rooms, a quiet room, and a kitchen area that includes a stove or microwave. Through Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs, children receive medical, dental and/or health education services. 

As the Founding Mission Partner of RMHC, McDonald’s remains committed to its support of the Charity. In some cases, portions of the annual operating costs for Ronald McDonald House programs are funded by McDonald’s, local Owner/Operators and suppliers. But McDonald’s involvement with the Charity extends far beyond direct monetary contributions.

McDonald’s employees and suppliers are dedicated RMHC volunteers. Owner/Operators sit on Boards at both the local Chapter and RMHC Global level, and partner with local Chapters for promotional and fundraising events.   

Owner/Operators even offer up real estate in their restaurants and Drive Thru for RMHC Donation Boxes, making it easy for customers to donate to RMHC every time they visit. 

You don’t have to be affiliated with McDonald’s to volunteer with RMHC. This holiday season, make a difference in the life of a sick child and their family. 

RMHC Fast Facts

• In 2018, RMHC provided over 2.5 million overnight stays to sick children and their families through the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room programs. 
• RMHC programs support the entire family by providing stability and vital resources to help them focus on what’s most important: their child. 
• Children being cared for at more than 90% of the world’s top children’s hospitals have access to at least one core RMHC family-centered program.