Whenever you make a purchase at a West Michigan McDonald’s, you’re often asked to round-up your order to the next dollar.
When you do, Executive Director for Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan Ellen Carpenter wants you to know just how much that helps. “When you round-up, whether you’re through the drive-thru or in the restaurant itself, that funding comes directly to this West Michigan Ronald McDonald House.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities West Michigan receives nearly $30,000 a month from roundup fundraising, which helps them provide approximately 152 nights of free lodging and amenities for families with a child in a local hospital.
“Once they’re here, our job is to really take care of their basic needs so all they need to do is focus on the health of their child.” Carpenter says, contrary to popular belief, Ronald McDonald House is not funded by the McDonald’s corporation; the charity only gets its operational license from the restaurant chain.
She says roundup fundraising not only benefits West Michigan’s Ronald McDonald House, but Houses nationwide. “So, any McDonald’s purchase that you make and round-up, it goes to the closest Ronald McDonald House, so no matter where you are, you can help families that have hospitalized children.”