It started with “the House that Love Built”®. The first Ronald McDonald House® was opened in Philadelphia in 1974, to meet the needs of families who had no place to stay while their child was hospitalized. Due to the overwhelming success of Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide, Ronald McDonald House Charities was formed in 1984, to meet a broader base of children’s needs.

The Ronald McDonald House is the cornerstone program of Ronald McDonald House Charities, but there are other programs offered as well. Two of these programs are scholarships and grants, which we offer at our local chapter. Programs offered at other chapters include the Ronald McDonald Family Room™, which provides a place of respite for family members of pediatric patients, and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile™ that delivers cost-effective medical, dental and education services directly to underserved children in their own communities.