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The goal of the Ronald McDonald House Charities is to be a support system for programs designed to improve the health and well being of children. They wish to change the world by changing a child’s life. They believe that by helping a child, they not only change the child’s family, but also the community they live in. The Ronald McDonald House programs sustain this belief by supporting families during difficult and challenging periods of their lives.
Ronald McDonald House Charities are immersed in the communities they service, which leads to lasting relationships with the medical professionals who provide health care and the organizations who support their core programs. The success of their programs is not only dependent on these professionals but also on their volunteers, staff, and donors.
The Ronald McDonald House provides a safe place to sleep and eat, for families of hospitalized children. For little or no cost to the families, it removes the worry of where to stay, allowing them to fully focus on the care and support of the sick child. Being close to the child and staying in contact with the medical personnel who care for him, is vital to the coping and healing process during a serious illness.
The money donated to the Ronald McDonald House charities are used to house a family and keep them close to a hospitalized child. Eighty-six cents out of every dollar donated goes towards supporting these families during a time of crises.
One way to donate to the charity is by using one of the donation boxes set up in many McDonald’s restaurants near their cash registers. In 2009, over $18 million was raised by customers dropping spare change into these boxes. The charity estimates that $116 million could be raised annually if each customer to McDonald’s dropped a penny into the box during each visit.
