About Us
SWA Orlando Culture Committee
Chairman Orlando Culture Committee: Brendon Korsgren
Fall Classic Event Coordinators :
Chad Farely
Treasurer: Sallie Zayac
Webmaster: Stan Clark
Purpose:
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida finds, creates and supports
programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and
families. The cornerstone program, the
Ronald McDonald House®,
provides a home-away-from-home” that offers comfort and care to families with
children receiving treatment at local hospitals and medical facilities in
Orlando.
Location: There are two Ronald McDonald House locations in Orlando. One
is located on the campus of Florida Children’s Hospital at the corner of
Princeton Street and Alden Road and the other is on the campus of Arnold Palmer
Medical Center on Kuhl Avenue.
History: The Ronald McDonald House located on the campus of Florida
Children’s Hospital, the first in Central Florida, opened in December 1996 with
13 bedrooms and expanded to 22 bedrooms in February 2000. Orlando’s second House
opened with 22 bedrooms in May 2003. The third floor (Phase II) was completed
and opened to families on October 28, 2005. Together, Our Houses serve up to 59
families nightly.
Families Served: Since December 1996, our Ronald McDonald House program
has served nearly 11,000 families. These families have represented 39 countries
(including Puerto Rico), 46 states and 59 Florida counties. The majority of the
families who have stayed at Our Houses are from the following counties: Brevard,
Volusia, Lake, Orange, Highlands, Polk, Osceola, and Seminole.
Cost To Families: Families staying at the Houses are asked to make a
donation of $15 per night. Actual costs to house a family are considerably more.
If payment is not possible, then they stay for free. Families are provided their
own room and a private bath. Everyone has access to the library, playroom,
laundry room, gathering room, outdoor wrap-around porch, dining room and
well-stocked kitchen.
Additional Services: The Houses have a manager on-call 24 hours.
Individuals and organizations in the community provide meals when possible. An
RMH van transports families to and from all hospitals when needed. Also
available are emergency toiletries and non-perishable food items.
Volunteers: More than 200 volunteers provide the backbone of the Houses.
In-house volunteers work four-hour shifts. They check families in and out,
answer telephones, give House tours, perform light housekeeping, assist with
clerical work and provide emotional support for the families. They also assist
with special events and fundraisers.
Funding: Revenues from fundraising and special events, corporate and
individual contributions, foundations, local McDonald’s® customer donations, and
guest donations provide funding for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central
Florida.
Contact: Linda Mayfield at 407-206-0957 /
lmrh@rmhccf.org or visit
www.rmhccf.org
