Having a sick or injured child in the hospital is incredibly stressful and disruptive for families. Not only are you worried about your child’s health, but you also have to scramble to manage work, bills, pets, and your other children while staying by your hospitalized child’s side. This is where Ronald McDonald Houses Virginia provides an invaluable service for families going through medical crises. Ronald McDonald Houses across the country operate as temporary homes near children’s hospitals that provide lodging and support services to families with hospitalized kids. These houses rely on donations from people like you to keep their doors open. Read on to learn how your donations can provide vital assistance to families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses.
RMHC of Virginia
Ronald McDonald Houses across the country and around the world help hundreds of thousands of families every year. But it’s the individual stories that truly showcase the impact these houses have. Take the Jones family from Richmond, for example. When their 8-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, the Jones’ world was turned upside down. As he began intense treatments at the children’s hospital, the closest Ronald McDonald House became their home away from home for months. The Jones parents took turns spending nights with their son at the hospital while the other stayed at the House with their older daughter. The Ronald McDonald House provided the entire family much-needed stability during an extremely challenging time.
Providing Lodging
The primary service Ronald McDonald Houses offer is providing a place for families to stay close to the hospital while their child receives treatment. Rather than paying for expensive hotels or hospital rooms, families can stay at the Ronald McDonald House for a modest nightly fee or sometimes for free. This allows parents and siblings to remain together and close to the ill child during their stay. Ronald McDonald Houses help relieve the financial and emotional strain through compassionate lodging services. Your donations help fund clean, comfortable bedrooms, communal kitchens, laundry facilities, parking, and more to create a true home-away-from-home for families.
Offering Support Programs
In addition to lodging, Ronald McDonald Houses frequently offer support services tailored specifically to the needs of families with hospitalized kids. These may include counseling sessions to help process emotions, complimentary meals or meal vouchers to the hospital cafeteria, parking passes or transportation stipends to get to and from medical appointments, and more. They also often distribute care packages with essentials like toiletries, clothes, notebooks, toys for siblings, and food delivery vouchers. Your donations help provide these extra resources that make an enormous difference for families.
Keeping Houses Running
It takes a considerable amount of funding to operate each Ronald McDonald House. Utilities, maintenance, staffing, insurance, cleaning supplies, and general upkeep are very expensive. Your monetary donations help keep the lights on and the facilities running smoothly for families day in and day out. Even small gifts help chip away at annual operating budgets. Ronald McDonald Houses provide an invaluable service that families could not afford on their own – your donations help fill this gap.
Volunteering Time & Talent
In-kind donations are also hugely helpful for Ronald McDonald Houses. Volunteering your time and talent is a meaningful way to assist the organization. People are needed to help cook meals, do cleaning or yardwork, run errands for families, organize activities or events, handle office work, and more. Individuals or groups can also organize supply drives in their community to collect wish list items for a local Ronald McDonald House. Donating your skills and talents hands-on makes a tangible impact.
Here is a list of all the current RMHC chapters located in Virginia:
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond, Virginia
- Operates the 19-bedroom Ronald McDonald House near Children’s Hospital of Richmond
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charlottesville, Virginia
- Operates the 51-bedroom Ronald McDonald House next to UVA Children’s Hospital
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk, Virginia
- Operates the 47-bedroom Ronald McDonald House near Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwestern Virginia
- Operates 21-bedroom Ronald McDonald House in Roanoke near Carilion Children’s Hospital
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Washington, DC & Northern Virginia
- Operates the 31-bedroom Ronald McDonald House in Fairfax near Inova Children’s Hospital
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC
- Operates the 18-bedroom Ronald McDonald House in DC near Children’s National Hospital
When a child is ill, the whole family suffers. Ronald McDonald Houses alleviate the stress and disruption of hospitalization by providing comfortable housing, compassionate support, and community. Your donations – whether money, time, or supplies – help these houses carry out their mission to keep families together and supported when they need it most. Support Ronald McDonald Houses today and create hope and home for families managing medical crises.
