Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, Inc.

The RMH mission is encompassed in the burdens eased for our families. Once families arrive at the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, they are within a mile of the hospital—providing access to world class medical care that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. It is our goal to provide necessary support to our families and make each interaction, program, and service filled with love and hope. Last year, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC—our global organization) saved families over $930 million in lodging and meals. An RMHC Global study done in 2012 showed that levels of parental anxiety, depression and stress were high among 2/3 of parents shortly after their child’s admission to the hospital and remained high in 38% of parents three months later. The need of families mentally, physically, and emotionally during this time is tremendous. The RMH model aims to help relieve this stress and anxiety for caregivers through our programs and services.

The Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill has a variety of strategies to ensure all families receive the best possible care. Our most recent strategic plan has included a new level of partnership with UNC Health, our partner hospital. With this strengthened partnership, our team has been able to determine the true need of families in hospital and in House. Working with hospital executives allows RMH to plan and strategize with the most up to date and effective information regarding our families and service.

Our capabilities come from a wide network and historic standing in the Chapel Hill community. After over 30 years of service, the Ronald McDonald House is extremely grateful for our support system that enables us to meet our goals and serve our families well. With the support of thousands of volunteers and donors, a dedicated board of directors, our hospital partners, and the community at large, we have found great strength and capability to achieve our goals.

So far, thousands of families have been able to remain together while their child received pediatric care at area hospitals. Thousands of meals served, loads of laundry done, toys given, and nights lodged. Next,

we are working every day to expand our services and goals. This year, we focused on food insecurity. Through distributing food at the hospital, at local clinics, and feeding our families in the House, we had the unique opportunity to take a historic component of our mission and grow it exponentially. Each year, the RMH team works to find new ways to better care for our families.