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Who is eligible to stay at the Ronald McDonald House?
Patient receiving treatment must be 18 years or younger.
Patient’s home residence must be a minimum of 30 miles from Albany.
Patient’s family must have a permanent home residence.
How much does it cost to stay at the RMH?
Though the cost of a night’s stay is $80, the requested fee is only $10 per night. However no guest ever has, or ever will be turned away for an inability to pay. In fact, only about 40% of our guests can afford to pay, and many cannot afford the $10 per night fee. Although $10 per night seems inexpensive, it still adds up for families some of which must spend many weeks and months here. Often, a family's income drops when a child becomes seriously ill because one parent must give up work or take an extended leave of absence.
How do I request a room at the RMH?
Eligible families can call the Ronald McDonald House at 518/438-2655 to request a room. Many families are referred to the Ronald McDonald House by hospital nurses and/or social workers. Due to the high demand for rooms, we cannot accept advance reservations. Guests may reserve a room 24 hours in advance. If a room is unavailable, guests are placed on a waiting list.
How do I know when a room becomes available?
If or when a room becomes available, the RMH will contact the family and give further instructions about checking into the RMH.
What services does the RMH provide?
Bedrooms: Each family has a private bedroom.
Bathrooms: 14 of our 16 bedrooms have a private bathroom. There are 3.5 community bathrooms located throughout the House.
Kitchen Facilities: These are available for families to store food and prepare meals. Thanks to volunteers from the Capital Region, hot, home cooked dinners are provided each night.
Laundry Facilities: These are available for families to do their laundry at no charge.
TV Rooms & Playrooms: There are three community TV rooms and a playroom for families and children to use.
Transportation: Transportation is available to and from the hospital. Limited transportation is also available for appointments outside of Albany Medical Center for families that do not have their own transportation.
Who owns and operates the Albany Ronald McDonald House?
The House is owned and operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Capital Region, Inc, a 501(c)(3) organization with its own local, all-volunteer Board of Directors.
How is RMHC of the Capital Region, Inc. funded?
Over 95% of our funds come from individuals, business and organizations throughout the Region.
Doesn’t McDonald’s fund the Ronald McDonald House?
Local McDonald's restaurant owners generously choose to support our Organization. Each year, the funds they provide total approximately twenty-percent of our annual operating costs, and we are very grateful for all they do for us. The men, women and families who own local McDonald’s choose to raise funds for RMHC through displaying collection canisters in their restaurants and drive-thru’s, by participating in annual fund raising activities in the restaraunts (i.e. Help With All Your Heart Campaign) and by donating one penny for each pound of french-fries sold. The remainder of our annual operating budget comes from donors; we simply couldn't operate without this community support.
What is the history and purpose of Ronald McDonald House?
When a child becomes critically ill, the illness brings with it many demands and pressures. There are obvious medical needs for treatment and information, but also financial burdens, pressure from possible extended time off from work, and parents and siblings requiring greater support, understanding and encouragement. Many families must commute long distances to a hospital or sometimes travel to another part of the country and stay in an unfamiliar city. Each Ronald McDonald House is built to respond to these needs.
The concept of providing a "home-away-from-home" for families of children with cancer and other serious illnesses began in Philadelphia in 1973 when Eagles football player Fred Hill learned that his daughter had leukemia. Hill contacted the team General Manager, Jim Murray. Together they joined forces with the medical and business communities as well as local McDonald's licensees, and in 1974 the first Ronald McDonald House was opened.
Today, there are over 250 Ronald McDonald Houses across the United States and around the world. Each House is as physically different as the city where it is located, but each has the same goal: to make families feel less like strangers and more like friends during a frightening time.
A Ronald McDonald House is not a hotel, motel or hospice, but truly a "home-away-from home” where families find a haven from the tensions of the hospital and gain support from others who are going through similar experiences.
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