For families with a sick child, Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) can be a lifeline. Their program directly improves the health and well-being of children, and helps strengthen families by keeping them together in times of medical need.

Families are stronger when they are together, which helps in the healing process. | Photo provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass

RMHC's impact by the numbers

Here's a peek at RMHC's impact locally:

28,000. The number of families who have called The Ronald McDonald House a home away from home over the past 39 years.
145,000+. The number of families with hospitalized children that have been served in the RMHC Family Room located on the fourth floor of UK HealthCare’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital since 2008. The Family Room provides a private area of comfort for critical care pediatric families who need a quiet place in the hospital to decompress and have some alone time.
7,655+. The number of guests representing 1,177 Families who utilized the RMHC Family Room in 2022 alone with 1,069 complimentary Lunches with Love provided.
90%. The percentage of families in the RMHC who are from Eastern Kentucky. Without RMHC, many would have to sleep in their cars or a hospital's stairwells as the cost of a hotel even for a night is unaffordable.
2,000. The number of children the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile provides care for each school year since launching in 2005. The Care Mobile is headquartered in Hazard, KY, and provides children with free professional dental services + education because dental disease has broader health impacts, including heart disease and poor academic performance. Fun fact: Two elementary schools in Hazard, KY reported the lowest rates of tooth decay and had the highest test scores.

RMHC gifts welcome bags (filled with essentials such as blankets, journals, diapers, etc.) to families when they arrive so they have one less thing to worry about during their stay. | Photo provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass

Get involved

As RMHC approaches their 40th anniversary, the need for support to help continue this impressive work is higher than ever.

Here's how you can get involved:

Volunteer: Individuals or groups can pitch in with everything from baking and making Lunches with Love to cooking dinner for RMHC families and landscaping projects.
Donate: It costs ~$125 per room per night to host a family. While all services are provided at no cost to the guest families, any financial donation from the community helps keep the lights on.
Sponsor: Make a large impact by sponsoring a room at RMHC.

RMHC could not do this critical work without the community partners we have here in Lexington like local McDonald's owners and operators, Tempur-Sealy International, UK HealthCare, Kentucky's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, and so many more. If you want to see good in the world, head on over to the House that love built and see people working together for those in need. Learn more.

Quiz

How many rooms are in the Ronald McDonald House in Lexington?Take a guess.