Ronald McDonald House Charities

Tonight I go to the Ronald McDonald House in San Diego for my tour. In case you are unfamiliar with what the Ronald McDonald House is about I put some of their info below. I am excited to finally be able to go in and check it out. I turned in my application back in May but they have had different things come up and have had to reschedule with me the last couple of times. Check out their website and see if there is somewhere around you that you could volunteer your time (I know there is one in Ann Arbor for all you Michigan folk).

A strong mind. A strong body. And a safe, supportive place to grow. These are things that every child needs - and deserves.

Helping to provide these things is what we do.

By creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is working to better the lives of children and their families around the world.

The three core programs of RMHC - the Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile - are focused on helping families in need. Our cornerstone Ronald McDonald House program began in 1974 based on a simple idea: Provide a "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Since that time, more than 10 million families around the world have benefited from the comfort provided by a Ronald McDonald House.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room program extends the comfort of a Ronald McDonald House to a hospital setting. Typically located just steps from neonatal or pediatric intensive care units, the Family Room provides a place to escape the stress and tension of the hospital.

Through relationships with local health care providers, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program brings cost-effective medical, dental and health education services directly to underserved children in both rural and urban areas around the world.

In addition to supporting the core programs, RMHC and our global network of local Chapters in 49 countries have awarded more than $440 million dollars in grants and program services worldwide to make an immediate, positive impact on as many children as possible. Together with support from hundreds of thousands of passionate and caring volunteers, donors and RMHC staff, we've had plenty of success.