About Us

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio

The Ronald McDonald House provides a home-away-from-home for families who travel to Toledo for their children’s medical care. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio opened its doors in Toledo in 1982, serving all Toledo-area hospitals.

Families wishing to stay at the Ronald McDonald House must obtain a referral from a doctor, nurse, or hospital social worker. The child must be a patient or outpatient at an area medical facility. Women with high-risk pregnancies and adults suffering from childhood diseases may also use the House.

Please notify your child’s nurse that you would like to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. The nurse will call us, confirming that your child is receiving medical care and that you reside outside the City of Toledo.

The Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald House, Toledo’s home-away-from-home, offers families who travel to Toledo for their children’s specialized medical care a warm, safe, clean, and friendly environment. The newly constructed Ronald McDonald House has twenty-two private bedrooms and bathrooms, a spacious kitchen with well-stocked pantries, family-friendly dining and living rooms, children’s play area, laundry facilities, playground, and secure parking. We serve over 500 families each year, with the average length of stay being 8 days.

Families can stay as long as their children are receiving specialized medical care. And they can return as often as necessary for follow-up care. Families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House are truly guests; services are provided to our guest families free-of-charge. Though we kindly ask for a suggested donation of $10 per night, no family is ever turned away because of inability to pay.

The Ronald McDonald House represents our community’s concern for those among us who battle the devastating effects of a child’s serious illness or injury. We have over 200 regular volunteers that help us help others.

How the Ronald McDonald House Helps
The Ronald McDonald House is just minutes from all hospitals and medical centers in Toledo, allowing families the comfort that comes from togetherness during a medical crisis. Without the Ronald McDonald House, families would face expensive hotel and meal costs, long commutes, sleeping, often uncomfortably, in a chair or on a cot at the hospital, or, the worst alternative of all, being absent. If you consider the average length of stay being 8 days, with a cost of $60 a night for a hotel stay, the cost for lodging alone would be $420, not to mention the cost for food, laundry, transportation, etc … We prepare over 300 meals each year for our guests, and food is always available for them to prepare their own meals.

Research studies and human intuition agree: Sick children who are surrounded by the people they love get better faster than those whose loved ones cant be with them. And, parents and caregivers who are present and active in their children’s care are less stressed and better able to provide love and reassurance.

Togetherness during a medical ordeal strengthens families. And, strong families build strong communities.

Our Relationship With McDonald’s
Ronald McDonald House Charities has been McDonald’s “charity of choice” since 1974.

We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, so we need the support of our entire community. Whether you are an individual or a large company, your support is essential. It takes the donations from many, to support our programs and projected growth. It takes cash donations, volunteer time, third party fundraisers, etc… to help us help families that need our services. Fortunately, we can count McDonald’s as our largest corporate donor.

McDonald’s involvement extends well beyond just writing us a check. They host fundraisers (candle light dinners, car shows, Day of Change, etc…), which you may have enjoyed over the years. McDonald’s owner/operators and employees often volunteer their time at the House or one of our many events. We obtain funds that stay “local” from the RMHC Donation Boxes that are found in your local McDonald’s restaurant. The list goes on and on. They are a very generous donor that we’re grateful to have on our “team.”