2022 Giving Guide: Medical
(PHOTOS PROVIDED BY RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA)
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida
Three Orlando-area locations | 407-206-0957 | rmhccf.org
The Doubleday family would count the steps, just 155 of them, between the Orlando Ronald McDonald House they were calling home for 12 days in 2011 and the hospital bedside of their daughter.
“The hospital healed our daughter, Lauren, and the Ronald McDonald House healed our family,” they told the staff.
The Doubleday’s story is one of 30,000 that are part of the ongoing legacy of comfort and care brought to families by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida.
Orlando is one of only six cities in the nation to have three or more Ronald McDonald Houses, which provide a home away from home for families of children receiving critical care in local hospitals.
The three, on the campuses of AdventHealth for Children, Orlando Health and Nemours Children’s Health, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Winnie Hospital for Women and Babie, serve an average of 2,500 families each year.
(PHOTOS PROVIDED BY RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA)
“Since we opened our doors more than 25 years ago, our organization has served over 30,000 families from around the world,” Chief Operating Officer Angela Cohen says.
The Ronald McDonald House program is remarkable, really, coming to the humble aid of families in the most stressful time imaginable, the critical illness of a child.
“We believe that children heal faster and are supported best when their family is by their side,” Cohen explains. They call it Family Centered Care.
“Our houses provide every family with all the comforts of home. Our closeness to our hospital partners reassures families that they are only steps away from their child when they need them most.”
They give families a private suite that includes their own bathroom and are welcome to a fully stocked pantry providing breakfasts and snacks, as well as toiletries and personal items.
“Equally important is the camaraderie and support of other guest families as they connect on their healing journeys together,” she says.
Cohen says for those interested in helping, no donation is too small to make a lasting impact and that more ways to support the mission may be found at rmhccf.org.
Other Resources
American Heart Association | 5224 W. S.R. 46, #403 | Sanford 32771-9230 | 407-481-6300 | heart.org
Federation of Families of Central Florida | 2605 Maitland Center Parkway | Maitland 32751 | 407-334-8049 | ffcflinc.org
Florida Center for Change | 6003 Silver Star Road, Orlando | 407-271-4452 | floridacenterforchange.org
Heart of Florida United Way | 1940 Cannery Way, Orlando 32804 | 407-835-0900 | hfuw.org
Shepherd’s Hope | 101 S. Westmoreland Drive | Orlando 32805 | 407-876-6699 ext. 248 | shepherdshope.org
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