Ronald McDonald Houses

A group of special houses around the world which provide a “home away from home” for families who need a place to stay while a sick child in the family is cared for at a nearby hospital. To date, more than 10 million families with sick children have stayed at a Ronald McDonald House, saving more than $120 million in housing and meal costs.

Dedicated administrative and volunteer staff focus on the family so the family can focus on the needs of their sick child. Families support and coach each other, and children, often self-conscious and embarrassed about their illnesses, feel at home in the warm and nurturing environment.

The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia in 1974 with the efforts of Fred Hill, a Philadelphia Eagles football player. When his daughter Kim was diagnosed with leukemia, Hill and his wife camped out on hospital chairs and benches, eating food from vending machines. They noticed other families, many who had traveled great distances, suffering the same fate.

Hill was introduced to Dr. Audrey Evans, a pediatric oncologist at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia who had dreamed of providing temporary housing for families like the Hills. Along with considerable help from local McDonald’s franchisees and Hill’s Eagle teammates, Hill and Dr. Evans founded the first Ronald McDonald House.