Sacramento Ronald McDonald House

The Sacramento Ronald McDonald House has served more than 20,000 families since opening its doors in 1998. The purpose of the House is to provide temporary, affordable housing to families while their child is undergoing treatment at a Sacramento-area hospital. The House allows families to be together and focus on their child without the additional worry of finding affordable, temporary housing.  The heartbreaking news of a serious illness or injury of a child is a pivotal event for a family and having a place that allows families to maintain a small sense of normalcy and community can make a huge difference in their ability to cope.

Families that stay at the House come from all walks of life, backgrounds and locations. Many families are facing an unknown future and arrive with only the clothes on their back. Some only need to stay at the House one time while others come back again and again for their child’s treatment. While each family is asked to donate $20.00 per night during their time at the House, no one is ever turned away due to their inability to pay. The actual cost to the Charity to house one family for one night is about $95. Throughout the years, the Adopt-A-Family Program has helped the Charity serve families who stay at the House. The program is the vehicle through which the Charity subsidizes the difference between the amount requested from families and what they are able to give.  The Adopt-A-Family Program relieves parents from the added worry of finding and covering the cost of appropriate temporary housing during their time in Sacramento, particularly those parents with limited means.

Studies have indicated that when an ill or injured child is able to have their family nearby throughout their treatment, the rate and amount of recovery achieved increases. If it were not for the Sacramento Ronald McDonald House, many families would be sleeping in their cars or hospital waiting rooms. The House provides a respite where family members can sleep, eat, unwind, and find support from other families in similar situations