More Rooms More Love
Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan is embarking on a $2 million building campaign to increase the number of rooms to 25 and enhance amenities for families.
ABOUT US
Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan opened in 1990 to provide a home away from home for families with hospitalized children.
We recognized that the provision of temporary housing would benefit and support the excellent medical facilities being developed in the area by attracting families who might otherwise travel elsewhere for care.
Over the past three decades, the House has provided a clean, safe and comfortable place to stay for an estimated 10,000 families.
Since 1990, we’ve helped over 10,0000 families…the problem is the 5,000 we’ve had to turn away.
While backgrounds and circumstances are different, there is a common bond that ties all the families at the House together. They’ll do whatever it takes to help their child get well, especially staying close to provide love and support.
We serve by providing a supportive atmosphere on five park-like acres in central Grand Rapids, that allows families to heal together.
Unfortunately our hearts have plenty of space, but our house doesn’t.
Our stay was more than expected. We valued the serene setting, access to community pantry, fridge and freezer. Love was felt through the meals provided by volunteers. We have a hard time asking for help so the service provided was wonderful.”
Our hearts are expanding.
Understandably, parents of critically ill or hospitalized children want to stay as close as possible to their kids. Unfortunately, that’s not always practical or realistic. Accommodations for families near a major medical center can be hard to come by and expensive. The family can be faced with insurmountable financial obstacles due to cost of treatments, time away from work and extended out of town stays, often leaving the family to sleep in waiting room chairs, on the floor, in the lobby or their car. Since treatment is typically unknown in length and can range from days to weeks or even months, financial considerations become paramount.
At the Ronald McDonald House, we envision a community where all families have access to quality healthcare and can heal together as a family.
Our mission is to provide a ‘home away from home’ for families traveling to Grand Rapids, whose children are experiencing a serious illness or injury requiring hospitalization. Our guiding principle is to treat all families who walk through our door.
HOW WE SERVE
Families find the comfort of home that includes seventeen bedrooms with private baths and a large homey kitchen with multiple cooking areas.
When the best treatment for a critically ill child is far from home, RMHCWM eliminates worry and financial burdens by providing families a free place to stay. In addition to lodging, we provide compassionate hospitality through food, transportation, and other amenities. Research has shown that children heal faster when families are together.
Our greatest addition is more families.
Our families are drawn from across Michigan, numbering on average 65+ counties each year. Our top referral counties include Muskegon, Mecosta, Marquette, Wexford, and Alcona counties. Many RMHC families live in poverty or have endured financial hardship to seek treatment for their child.
The primary diagnosis of our families is premature babies being treated in neonatal intensive care as well as pediatric intensive care for cancer and surgery. We also serve families with children and teens at the psychiatric in-patient facilities as mental illness continues to grow at alarming rates. We’ve seen a steady increase in the number of days families stay at the House (from 8 days on average in 2014 to 20.5 days in 2021). This accounts for the increasing numbers of critically ill children being treated within the pediatric and neonatal intensive programs.
Hospital Partners
Our partner hospitals are expanding their number of beds and adding specialties to draw patients from outside the community. This continued growth makes the need for more rooms at RMHC even more essential.
WHY WE MATTER
We are part of the world class healthcare continuum in Grand Rapids. As a hospital grows their pediatric critical care beds, the demand for their expertise naturally draws from a larger service area, outside of the local community. The ability to provide these services for out-of-town families is improved with a RMH close by.
We serve multiple hospitals including mental health facilities. The majority of our families have children at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
We care for the entire family, including siblings. Having siblings close by makes a difference for the entire family’s ability to cope with a very stressful situation.
All our services are free. We provide rooms, toiletries, meals, laundry services, transportation, WiFi, chaplain support, and more at cost to families. All other hospitlity houses* in our community charge a daily fee.
We only serve families of pediatric patients (Age 18 or younger). RMH represents 29% of all pediatric hospitality rooms in our community.
We ease the transition home for families with gas cards, baby clothing, food, and more.
UPGRADES FOR FAMILIES WITH THE EXPANSION
Scroll through to see renderings of our upgraded space!
- Overhaul of the existing apartment to provide 8 additional private suites to serve more families.
- Enhancing our ADA features including 3 new accessible rooms, accessible kitchen space, and power doors throughout the house.
- Updating the existing dining room and laundry rooms for greater capacity.
- Renovation of the current kitchen to include family & volunteer cooking stations.
- Brand new playground for siblings and families to enjoy while away from the hospital.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Our More Rooms, More Love campaign is seeking $2 million in community philanthropy to help expand the house and provide a safe and comfortable home away from home for families with hospitalized children.
You can help us achieve the important goal by supporting the campaign through:
- A one-time cash gift
- A multiple year pledge commitment (may be paid over a three-year period)
- A gift of appreciated assets (i.e. stock)
- An estate gift
Your charitable gift is tax deductible to the full extent of state and federal law. Please check with your tax advisor to determine how you gift may affect your personal tax situation.
More Rooms, More Love
Campaign Cabinet
Lindel Hoff | Cabinet Co-Chair
Nanoplas, Inc
Andrew Grashuis | Cabinet Co-Chair
The Andrew Grashuis Collection
Ashley Chalk
Chip Ganassi Racing
Adam Clarke
1BoldStep
Meg Derrer
Refugee Education Center
Kip Doezema
Grand River Bank
Dustin Furney
Hudsonville Creamery
Kim Krause
Fox17
Gloria Lubben
SecurAlarm
Brian Moore
Legacy Trust GR
Maribeth Mulvey
Northern Jet Management
Rodney Prahl
IFF (CDFI)
Ellen Carpenter
Executive Director
Keith Hopkins
Hopkins Fundraising
Questions about the More Rooms, More Love campaign? Please contact Ellen Carpenter at ecarpenter@rmhcwm.org. With your help we will be able to provide more families with a safe place to stay while they care for their hospitalized child. Thank you.