Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) Alberta supports families seeking vital medical treatment for their seriously sick or injured child. Our warm, compassionate Houses provide a home-away-from-home for families who need to travel for medical reasons. When those families are experiencing one of life’s most difficult times, we offer them the gift of togetherness.
Since the first Houses were built in Alberta in 1985, we have supported tens of thousands of families. Every year, thousands will stay at one of Alberta’s Ronald McDonald Houses. These stays can last up to a few nights, or as long as several weeks or months at a time.
In Canada, every 20 minutes a family walks through the front door of a Ronald McDonald House. They are the lucky ones. In Alberta, we are meeting approximately 14% of the demand. Thousands of eligible families are turned away every year and forced to manage the immense burden of having a sick or injured child on their own. Some are driven into debt to simply cover the costs. Others break under the emotional stress. Some sleep in their cars or hospital bedside to simply stay near their child. RMHC is the only organization that provides a place for families to stay while they are travelling to receive vital medical treatment for their sick or injured child. Expansion will help RMHC Alberta address the existing service gap and meet the growing demand for essential social infrastructure in Alberta, thus enabling equitable access to pediatric healthcare.
We are expanding the Calgary Ronald McDonald House from 27 family suites to 90 family suites in order to provide a Home away from Home for more families. We have broken ground on this project and will open to doors to new suites in early 2025.