About Us
Ronald McDonald Houses provide families of sick children with a home to stay at while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital. As well, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a comfortable place for families to rest and recharge, right inside hospitals. And through Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, we help to bring basic medical care to vulnerable communities. So families can stay together and kids can heal better.
- Quick facts
- Our organization
- Our heritage
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Quick facts
RMHC provides a home away from home for the families of seriously ill children who are staying at a nearby hospital.
There are 15 Ronald McDonald Houses, 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and 2 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles across Canada.
70% of Canadians live outside a city with a children's hospital, which means that they have to travel for medical care if their child is seriously sick or injured. Ronald McDonald Houses give families the chance to stay together and close to their sick
The good news is, thanks to medical advances, children are healing more today than ever before; however, the healing journey is taking more treatments over longer periods of time, creating constant demand for Ronald McDonald Houses and Family Rooms.
Today, Ronald McDonald Houses serve approximately 51% of the families of Canada's most sick and injured children.
As well, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms are serving over 10,000 families right inside the hospital every year.
The Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles have travelled more than 74,000 kilometres and have served more than 7,000 families in Canada.
All 15 Ronald McDonald Houses offer a Home for Dinner program for families, and have served 40,762 dinners in one year alone.
No home is complete without laundry and our Ronald McDonald House families did a remarkable 147,334 loads of laundry in one year.
6,000 caring volunteers and 283 dedicated staff bring Ronald McDonald Houses to life every day for our families.
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Our organization
• There are 13 Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters, collectively operating 15 Houses, 16 Family Rooms and 2 Care Mobiles.• Each RMHC Chapter is a community organization, independently operated as a charity.• Each Chapter receives financial and in-kind support from RMHC Canada as the national foundation as well as McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada and its suppliers, in addition to generous support from individual donors, corporations, and charitable groups.• Founded in 1982, RMHC Canada is honoured to be the everlasting foundation of support for Ronald McDonald Houses, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles across Canada.• Since then, RMHC has helped more than 292,253 sick children and their families.
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Our heritage
• In 1969, 3-year-old Kim Hill was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia. For the next 3 1/2 years, she underwent regular chemotherapy and radiation to her brain at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her parents, Fred (of the Philadelphia Eagles)• In 1971, they partnered with the Philadelphia Eagles football team, Dr. Audrey Evans of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and their local McDonald’s to open the first ever Ronald McDonald House, providing temporary housing near the hospital for f• In 1981, George Cohon brought Ronald McDonald House Charities to Canada and opened the first House in Toronto.
History
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1974
The first Ronald McDonald House opens in Philadelphia, inspired by Kim Hill, a little girl who was battling leukemia. -
1977
McDonald's Canada founded McHappy Day to raise funds for RMHC and other local children's charities. It is now celebrated around the world. -
1981
The first Canadian Ronald McDonald House opens in Toronto. -
1982
RMHC Canada is established as a foundation of everlasting support to Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada. -
2004
McDonald's Canada established the 10 Cent Happy Meal Program, which remains a cornerstone of funding for Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada. -
2007
The first Ronald McDonald Family Room in Canada was built. -
2012
The first Ronald McDonald Care Mobile arrived in Canada to serve the communities in East Calgary, to be joined by a second Care Mobile in 2013. -
2014
By 2014, 10 Ronald McDonald Houses had undergone a complete renovation and two new Ronald McDonald Houses had been built: one in St. John's, NL, and one in Red Deer, AB.
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2016
The very first Ronald McDonald House inside a Hospital will open in Windsor, Ontario, as part of the RMHC Southwestern Ontario Chapter.
RMHC & McDonald's
Our partnership with McDonald’s ensures that our Houses, Family Rooms, and Care Mobiles have an everlasting foundation of support.
Since the first Canadian House opened in 1981, McDonald’s Canada and its founder, George Cohon, have carried a committed and caring vision of RMHC’s role in helping sick children and their families. From monetary contributions and volunteering, to board participation and media donations, McDonald’s helps RMHC impact countless lives by giving children support, stability and the best medicine of all: their family.
McDonald's generosity and family values are demonstrated daily through their actions.
• 10 cents from the sale of every Happy Meal is donated to RMHC Canada, creating a sustainable revenue source for Ronald McDonald Houses and their programs. Click here to see how Happy Meals help families
• McDonald’s restaurants across Canada host McHappy Day, an annual day of giving, to support local children’s charities and Ronald McDonald Houses.
• Thanks to McDonald’s guests, Ronald McDonald Houses benefit from the generous giving of Canadians through donations made at coin boxes in McDonald’s restaurants across Canada. Click here to see how coin box donations help families.
• Every year, McDonald’s Canada Owner-Operators, Crew and employees volunteer thousands of hours to support Ronald McDonald Houses across the country.
• McDonald’s suppliers support Ronald McDonald Houses as contributors, volunteers and national donors.
Thank You to McDonald’s for their funding and forever support.
• McDonald’s restaurants across Canada host McHappy Day, an annual day of giving, to support local children’s charities and Ronald McDonald Houses.
• Thanks to McDonald’s guests, Ronald McDonald Houses benefit from the generous giving of Canadians through donations made at coin boxes in McDonald’s restaurants across Canada. Click here to see how coin box donations help families.
• Every year, McDonald’s Canada Owner-Operators, Crew and employees volunteer thousands of hours to support Ronald McDonald Houses across the country.
• McDonald’s suppliers support Ronald McDonald Houses as contributors, volunteers and national donors.
Thank You to McDonald’s for their funding and forever support.