Mission Statement

For 43 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) in St. Louis has provided comfort, care, and a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children. The first Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis was established in 1981 as an eight-bedroom facility to provide a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children who must travel to St. Louis for medical treatment. Since then, the organization has grown to include two Ronald McDonald Houses, which can provide lodging to 92 families every night.
The cost for one family’s one-night stay at the Ronald McDonald House is $125; however, families are asked to pay between $5 and $15 per night. Approximately 75% of guest families cannot afford this donation, and thanks to the generosity of the St. Louis community, no family is ever turned away based on their ability to pay.

Children whose families stay at the RMH tend to be the sickest, have traveled the furthest distances for care, and spend the longest time in the hospital. RMHC St. Louis is dedicated to serving the needs of children by providing temporary housing and other support services to families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at area hospitals. Our goal is to continue partnering with St. Louis pediatric hospitals and the community to increase access to quality, affordable healthcare by providing the facilities, personnel, and volunteers that best accommodate the needs of our families. Further, the Ronald McDonald House Program promotes family-centered care, a type of care that encourages collaboration between parents, children, and medical professionals, and a type that 11 independent, peer-reviewed studies found to be beneficial for pediatric patients. By providing essential benefits for children and their caregivers, such as improved psychological well-being and better perceptions of the child’s recovery, RMHC St. Louis is a valuable asset to the St. Louis pediatric medical community.

The Grove Ronald McDonald House opened in late June 2024. The new 72-bedroom Ronald McDonald House increased capacity and offered families various amenities. Families will enjoy meals our on-staff chef prepares in our large commercial kitchen. This new location has retired the former two other properties and primarily serves St. Louis Children’s Hospital and SSM Cardinal Glennon Hospital families. The second location, West County Ronald McDonald House, built in 2010, has 20 bedrooms and primarily services families at Mercy Children’s Hospital and Shriner’s Children’s Hospital – St. Louis.

Impact

Since its beginning in 1981, the St. Louis Ronald McDonald Houses have served thousands of families. Therefore, there has been progressive wear and tear on the facilities. Extensive repairs and renovations were needed to ensure the health and safety of our guest families. Because of the incredible support of the Dana Brown Charitable Trust over the years, RMHC St. Louis had been able to embark on several major renovation and expansion projects throughout the years, ensuring that the St. Louis Ronald McDonald Houses are safe and comfortable for those who call them “Home.”

Most recently, due to a successful capital campaign, RMHC St. Louis had the Ribbon-cutting on June 18, 2024, for the new Grove Ronald McDonald House. This new 76,000-square-foot facility has expanded our mission from 59 to 92 family rooms each night. This will decrease the number of families on the nightly waitlist. These additional rooms are projected to support a further 450 families per year. With the continued support from the Dana Brown Charitable Trust, Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis will be able to keep countless more families close at a time when it matters most.