Who We Are
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio is a children's charity that focuses on helping families accessing medical care for their children, as well as helping to enrich the lives of healthy children. We do this through our cornerstone program, The Ronald McDonald House, as well as our Better Tomorrow's Grant Program.
The Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald House, Toledo's home-away-from-home, offers families who travel to Toledo for their children's specialized medical care a warm, safe, clean, and friendly environment. The Ronald McDonald House has fourteen private bedrooms and bathrooms, a spacious kitchen with well-stocked pantries, refrigerators, and freezers, family-friendly dining and living rooms, a den, two age-appropriate play rooms, laundry facilities, an outdoor deck and play yard, and secure parking. We serve over 400 families each year, with the average length of stay being 8 days.
Families can stay as long as their children are receiving specialized medical care. And, they can return as often as necessary for follow-up care. Families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House are truly guests: services are provided to our guest families free-of-charge.
The Ronald McDonald House represents our community's concern for those among us who battle the devastating effects of a child's serious illness or injury. We have over 125 regular volunteers that help us, help others.
How the Ronald McDonald House Helps
The Ronald McDonald House is just minutes from all hospitals and medical centers in Toledo, allowing families the comfort that comes from togetherness during a medical crisis. Without the Ronald McDonald House, families would face expensive hotel and meal costs, long commutes, sleeping, often uncomfortably, in a chair or on a cot at the hospital, or, the worst alternative of all, being absent. If you consider the average length of stay being 8 days, with a cost of $60 a night for a hotel stay, the cost for lodging alone would be $420, not to mention the cost for food, laundry, transportation, etc... We prepare over 300 meals each year for our guests, and food is always available for guests to prepare their own meals.
Research studies and human intuition agree: Sick children who are surrounded by the people they love get better faster than those whose loved ones cant be with them. And, parents and caregivers who are present and active in their children's care are less stressed and better able to provide love and reassurance.
Togetherness during a medical ordeal strengthens families. And, strong families build strong communities.
Better Tomorrow's Grant Program
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio touches thousands of children each year by awarding grants to nonprofit organizations for meritorious projects that enrich children's lives.
» Read More about our Better Tomorrow's Grants Program.
Our Relationship With McDonald's
Ronald McDonald House Charities has been McDonald's "charity of choice" for 36 years.
We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, so we need the support of our entire community. Whether you are an individual or a large company, your support is essential. It takes the donations from many, to support our programs and projected growth. It takes cash donations, volunteer time, third party fundraisers, etc... to help us, help families that need us. Fortunately, we can count McDonald's as our largest corporate donor.
McDonald's involvement extends well beyond just writing us a check. They host fundraisers (candle light dinners, car shows, McHappy Day, etc...), which you may have enjoyed over the years. McDonald's owner/operator's and employees often volunteer their time at the House or one of our many events. We obtain funds that stay "local" from the RMHC Donation Boxes that are found in your local McDonald's restaurant. The list goes on and on. They're a very generous donor that we're grateful to have on our "team".
