Brief History

Long Beach Ronald McDonald House

The dream of a Ronald McDonald House in Long Beach is now a reality.  After years of careful planning and preparation, the community responded immediately and enthusiastically to a capital campaign to build the Ronald McDonald House.  In less than two years of fund raising through private gifts and grants – both large and small – $6 million was rasied to bring Ronald McDonald House to Long Beach.
 
While the dream is just beginning in Long Beach, there are more than 300 Ronald McDonald Houses in 30 countries and regions around the world.  Locally, Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California supports Houses in Los Angeles, Orange, Loma Linda, Pasadena, Bakersfield, and now Long Beach.  The Charities also operates Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times – a nationally-recognized, medically-supervised, year-round sleep away camp for children with cancer and their siblings.  In addition, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California awards scholarship funds to exceptional high school students and community grants to non-profit organizations that benefit children.
Ronald McDonald Family Room Program: A Haven Within the Hospital

A Ronald McDonald Family Room serves as an “oasis” inside of the hospital for parents with children in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units.
 
Having a Ronald McDonald Family Room inside the hospital walls lets families catch a nap, get something to eat, or take a shower while receiving the support of others experiencing similar situations— all within mere steps of their hospitalized child.
  
Research shows that a family’s presence in the hospital helps children heal faster. Staying close by allows parents to better communicate with their child’s medical team and improves adherence to complicated treatment plans. These are only some of the reasons that make the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms an important service.