What We Do
Many families travel far from home to get treatment for their seriously ill, critically injured or medically fragile children. The treatment may last a day, a month, or even longer. It's a long time to be away from home, or to divide a family. At Ronald McDonald House Charities, we keep families together when they need it most.
We provide:
- Home-cooked meals
- Laundry facilities
- 13 bedrooms with private bathrooms
- Indoor and outdoor playrooms for children
- Recreational activities
- Internet access to keep up with careers and medical treatments
When your child is sick, you want the best care possible - even if it is hundreds or thousands of miles away. The Ronald McDonald House allows families to access specialized medical treatment by providing a place to stay at little or sometimes no cost.
The House operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to meet the needs of our families. There is a small staff and much of the work is done by dedicated volunteers. Volunteers help with the day-to-day tasks of running the House, help with yard work and cleaning projects, conduct fundraisers and serve on a variety of committees.
It costs around $94 per night to fund the programs and operations of our House. To support ongoing operations, we encourage, but do not require, guests to make a donation of $15 per night (or whatever amount they are able) in order to ensure the availability of the House for future guests. However, no family is ever turned away due to an inability to contribute. The remaining amount needed to sustain operations of the House is met entirely through financial contributions from individuals, groups and corporations in our community and beyond who believe in and want to align themselves with our mission.
2016 Impact
Overnight families served: 355
Happy Wheels families served: 931
Total number of nights of lodging provided: 2,936
Families wait listed for a room: 113
Average length of stay: 9 days
Georgia Counties served: 68
State served (not Georgia): 8
House and weekend volunteers: 89
Volunteer hours: 2,683
Meals provided for families by community: over 34,000 individual meals
William and Heather Lally stayed at the Ronald McDonald House of Central Georgia during the snow storm of January of 2011 when their 5 year old son was admitted to PICU and diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Heather writes 'That event turned our lives upside down, and we will never be the same. But the comfort and love we felt from the Ronald McDonald House is something we will never forget. From the safe, comfortable house to the hot meals to the friendly faces, it was a blessing in a time of despair.' Our location within walking distance of the hospital allowed the Lallys to stay together as a family - snowstorm and all.
