What is Ronald McDonald House?

A Ronald McDonald House® is a temporary home-away-from-home where the families of children being treated for serious illnesses or trauma reside while the child receives treatment at a nearby medical facility. It is also a place where children who are receiving outpatient treatment are able to spend time with their families in a warm and cheerful environment. A Ronald McDonald House is not a medical treatment facility, a hospice, or a hotel.

What is its purpose?

Children with serious illnesses need more than quality medical attention. They need emotional support and understanding from their families. Families, in turn, need a place where they can draw additional strength and find stability when a child is seriously ill. Families forced to travel a distance to obtain medical care often find that their day-to-day problems are compounded by lengthy separation from home and friends. In order to be close to their children, they may have to choose between paying for expensive accommodations or sleeping in hospital waiting rooms.

At a Ronald McDonald House, the families have a place to rest, away from the atmosphere of a hospital, where they can attempt to lead "normal" lives. Parents are able to share their worries and concerns with other parents who can empathetically understand the emotional strain placed upon them and who can offer each other support during times of crisis.

Click here for a map to Ronald McDonald House

What is the Ronald McDonald Family Room?

Ronald McDonald Family Room is located inside University Medical Center. It offers families of pediatric patients a place to relax, away from the stresses of the hospital, while still being close to their children.

What is its purpose?

Ronald McDonald House Charities understands that when you have a seriously ill or injured child in the hospital, going home for a nap, a meal or a shower just seems too far away. The Family Room offers families privacy and personal comforts through one of the most difficult times in their life.

The Family Room includes:

Ronald McDonald Family Room is open to any adult family member or guardian of a child, 18 or younger, receiving medical care at UMC.

Click here for directions to the Ronald McDonald Family Room®
at University Medical Center

Who owns the Ronald McDonald House?

Each Ronald McDonald House is owned and operated separately as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Each House is run by a volunteer Board of Directors which is composed of community members, members of the medical and business communities, and local McDonald’s owner/operators. In Tucson, Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room are owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona, Inc. All of our funding comes from private and charitable donations.
Our global Ronald McDonald House Charities organization provides us with fundraising money from such sponsors as Bissell, Select Comfort and Coke. They also provide us with consulting services in areas of finance, legal, fundraising, and general support. Although McDonald’s restaurants are very involved in our fundraising efforts, none of the Houses is owned by McDonald’s.

What is the involvement of McDonald's in this program?

McDonald’s gives seed money to each new Ronald McDonald House. The local McDonalds help by sponsoring fundraisers in the restaurants to benefit RMHC. They also collect donations from the public through canisters in their stores. However, more than 90% of our funding comes from sources other than McDonald’s. We have a licensing agreement with McDonald’s enabling us to use the RMHC name and logo.

®

The Tucson Ronald McDonald House opened on February 14, 1981.  The House was a response to the need for shelter for families of children undergoing treatment at Tucson area medical facilities for cancer, heart disease, and other serious illness or traumas.

With the generous support of the Tucson community and seed money from Ronald McDonald House Charities®, a house was located, redesigned and redecorated.  In December 1983, a significant fundraiser was held to pay off the mortgage on the House.

When the Tucson Ronald McDonald House first began operations in 1981, families paid $6 a night.  The approximate cost to operate the House, per family, in 1981 was $23.  The cost to host a family now is approximately $70 per night, though the maximum donation requested from our guest families is never more than $10, and only as much as they can afford.

In 1981, when the RMH first opened its door and heart to families in need of a "home away from home," there were a total of nine rooms, including five bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, and a library.  Our kitchen held a single refrigerator, and one washer and dryer that somehow supported an average of 55 guests per month.

In 1996, after two years of renovations, RMH is able to support 18 families at a time.  The House now consists of 16 bedrooms, nine bathrooms (two with handicap access), and three kitchens with five refrigerators and five sets of washers and dryers.  A casual dining area, formal dining room, playroom for the children and a welcoming living room for our "house guests" makes this home a very special place.  We also have two apartments near UMC.  These two bedroom apartments are used for families that must be with us for extended stays.

In the summer of 2000, we added plants, a patio and a barbecue to our back yard to create a "Family Garden."  Here, children can play on the equipment and moms & dads can sit nearby to enjoy our wonderful weather.  In the summer of 2001, we improved another of our gardens to be a place for reflection and peaceful moments as a relaxing “Quiet Garden.”

Board of Directors

Staff

Google Map

Directions
Take Campbell Ave to Allen Road, which is between River and Prince Roads.
There is a small light.
Head East on Allen to the end of the Road.
The Ronald McDonald House is on the North side of the road.