The leading charity for family care in Canada has set out to double the number of families served by 2030.
For more than 40 years the Ronald McDonald House has been a place to stay, providing services and comfort for those who may have a child in hospital, running off donations, alone.
Interim CEO Richard Pass tells Acadia News, the organization is rebranding its mission with a new phase of support called, Family Stays.
“[It] is really an important opportunity for us to tell the story of what Ronald McDonald Houses do locally and around the world,” says Pass. “To be able to drive more support and to serve more families.”
He says, their mission will stay the same; a roof for as long as families need a place to stay, programs and a sense of normalcy during a challenging time.
“We have families that have had treatment already that are back for a checkup, so for two or three nights. But an average stay can go a month or two and sometimes up to a year depending on the diagnosis,” adds Pass.
House is amazing
Daniel Jenkins and his wife live in Truro, Nova Scotia, with their four-year-old son, Emmett, who has a type of leukemia.
He tells us, the diagnosis came as a shock with various appointments and treatment that had to be done in Halifax, about an hour away – that’s where the Ronald McDonald House comes in.
“They have at least two meals a week where companies, organizations, charities come in and provide meals for families there,” says Jenkins. “There’s hot, fresh coffee brewed all day, there’s sitting rooms.”
In addition to that, he says there are playrooms, toys for the kids, an outdoor play area and an outdoor grill.
“That’s what was amazing to us,” says Jenkins. “They really do think of everything that families need and even more than that.”
Not to mention the comradery they feel with the other families staying there. At the location in Halifax, there can be 36 families at a time, since the expansion.
With over 100 new bedrooms planned in 2025, expansions have stretched across Canada in not only Halifax, but Calgary and Kamloops, with more planned in Prince George, Toronto and Ottawa.
As for Emmett, Jenkins says, his progress is going well, and the prognosis looks good.
Jenkins thanks all the donors across the Maritimes, Canada and the world, making the stay at the Ronald McDonald House, affordable.
“We love Nova Scotia, and we really appreciate just the love that everyone has shown us. The IWK, the staff… just tremendous. So, we just want to say thank you.”
