The San Francisco Ronald McDonald House

I organized some colleagues to do a community service activity here the other night — cooking dinner for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House! We were greeted by the volunteer coordinator that was working and shown the kitchen, which was stocked with pots, pans, utensils, and the basics for cooking. We brought all the ingredients for our meal. Vai was great and our group had a lot of fun cooking together. Vai told us many of the families wouldn’t come back to the house until later, so we left the food on a table in the dining area buffet-​style for families to grab food upon return. We also got to sit down and eat a bit. The adults who were there were so appreciative! It warms your heart when you see people so appreciative and it was eye opening to hear what RMH does for these families!
I’m so glad organizations like Ronald McDonald House exist — they give families a bit of support while their sick or injured child is in the hospital. These are families who would otherwise be sleeping the their cars or in crowded waiting rooms. The spaces in the RMH houses are determined by referral from hospital case workers and there are some requirements for the families to be able to stay and keep their spots int he house (those spots are coveted). RMH provides toiletries, linens, toys for the siblings to use when they’re visiting (we were told that mom might be the one staying in the city with the hospitalized child while dad is home taking care of the other kids and they’ll drive long distances every weekend to be together as a family), and washer/​dryer. Volunteers can contact RMH to cook lunch and dinner any day of the week. They also have volunteer opportunities at the hospital to hand out goodies to families and the sick kids.
I’m so glad that RMH is doing the work that it’s doing to help these families out. It’s heat-​breaking to have a premature baby, for example, and then also have the added stress of finding a place to stay, finances, or worry about the rest of the family. RMH gives these families a bit of peace of mind so that they can focus their energy on the sick child and also get some good rest in the evening. Some of them don’t even spend that much time at the house; they go home to shower, sleep, then wake up early to go back to the hospital the next morning.
I’m definitely coming back again to volunteer with colleagues!

I was introduced to Ronald McDonald Charities while volunteering at Kapiolani Women and Children’s Center on Oahu. Little did I know that my very own children would be the recipients of this outstanding organization on the mainland.
Our premie grandson had to be transported to UCSF. After spending ten nights in hotels, chairs, and isolation rooms the SF Ronald McDonald room had an opening for our daughter and son in law and 2 yo granddaughter. What a blessing. Truly a home away from home. Even though my SIL returns home to work during the week our daughter can stay as late as she needs with baby in the ICN.
The bedroom has all of the comforts of home and the playroom is painted with the brightest Jungle mural that truly helps you escape the difficulties of the day.
There is an abundance of food as so many outstanding companies provide meals and treats. There is even an offer for free haircuts from a local salon… sigh
If you are serious about finding an organization where you can volunteer and really make a difference be sure and find the closest RMC.
The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital will be relocating to it’s new facility Feb 1, 2015. There will be a new RMcD House connected to the new hospital. How cool is that!!!

My family and I stayed here in 2010 when my son was born 12 weeks premature. We lived 2 hours away and commuted every single day until we found out about the Ronald McDonald house. This is the greatest blessing that is offered to families who live so far away from the hospital their children receive treatment at. You have your own room some rooms come with their own bathroom and others share a bathroom. The house is immaculate very clean and tidy. They have breast pumps for moms on every floor. The staff is amazing as well. Different groups and volunteers come to cook for the families who are staying at the house and families also have their own fridge and cupboard space. The most wonderful thing about this is they don’t ask a single penny of you. Out of the kindness of people’s hearts they help out families who are truly in need. I can’t express enough how blessed I was to stay here for almost 2 months while my son got healthy in the hospital!

My nephew and his wife who live in Sacramento have been staying here because their 2 month old baby has had 5 open heart surgeries in S.F. since Valentine’s Day. They had spent so much time here and home was too far to go back and forth. What a wonderful organization!
So next time you visit McDonald’s, put a few coins in the fund box for a great cause. It could benefit you or a family member someday.

Volunteering here makes my heart skip. They have a decent sized, fully-​equipped kitchen with two electric stove tops– one on each side of the island, a good array of cutlery, pots, pans and a barbecue grill outside which we put to good use. Our group decided to make a Korean themed dinner for the patient’s families one special evening; this included Korean pancakes, bulgogi, ribs, noodles, sausages. Dessert included cake and mochi balls which were store-​bought so, unfortunately, we can’t take credit for that piece. The patient’s families gobbled it all up and are always so modest and appreciative. The kids played in the play room with toys galore and drove bikes around and around the dining table without a care in the world, they were happy and giggly, just as children should be. The Ronald McDonald house is roomy, warm and feels just like home. This is my second time volunteering here and I’ve enjoyed every second of cooking meals for them. The Ronald McDonald House is an exceptional Foundation.

I was introduced to this charity a few years ago. At first I was a bit put off by the fact that McDonald’s is it’s cornerstone supporter as I do have some issues with them. But after my first visit to the Ronald McDonald House I quickly learned just how awesome this particular organization is.
In a nutshell, these people provide support to children and their families who are undergoing serious (and often life threatening) illness. They allow the parents and/​or legal guardians a place to stay and live close to their children while they are undergoing treatments at local hospitals.
It’s one of those things that we forget about and the thought that often in order for children to receive the best care possible must travel to other parts of the country. The Ronald McDonald House is a comforting and welcoming environment and a place where families are given support and a place to stay.
I do realize that the current economic climate has put a damper on charitable contributions. But if you have a few dollars laying around or can skip that afternoon bagel run they sure could use your help.