Ronald Mcdonald House Charities Bay Area

Mission

Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area (RMHC Bay Area) creates a supportive community for families of children receiving critical pediatric health care at local partner hospitals. The newly established Bay Area regional chapter provides comprehensive programming and services for more families and improves access to care through Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, Ronald McDonald House of San Francisco and two Ronald McDonald House Care Mobiles in Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties. To learn more, visit www.rmhcbayarea.org. 

Programs

The House is committed to supporting families facing their children's medical crises.  In addition to overnight accommodations, the House also offers theraputic programs and services for parents, patients and siblings, including:

Day Pass Program

In 2014, the House introduced the Day Pass program to serve families who are unable to stay overnight due to capacity limitations or who live locally and do not require accomodations. Familes are welcome to access all House programs, services, and facilities between 9 AM to 9 PM daily, including: the community kitchen, computer lab, children’s activity room, teen activity room, laundry facilities, shuttle, gyn and shower. 

In addition to amenities, families are also able to participate in activities, including Furry Friends (pet assisted therapy), family portraits (photos by Family Album Project), arts and crafts, bingo, and special events.  Since its inception in April 2012, the Day Pass Program has served over 1,500 individuals.

megaBITES

megaBITES presents an impactful volunteer experience that leverages community and corporate support to provide hot, nutritious meals for 123 families staying at Ronald McDonald House at Stanford every day. 

Healthy ingredients are procured in advance and staff guides groups through the preparation of well-balanced, diverse menus. The beautiful, fully-loaded commercial kitchen is a great place to team build in a casual, engaging environment.

Happy Wheels

Since 2010, the Happy Wheels program has served over 40,000 individuals.  The Happy Wheels cart was designed to serve families who wait for hours without leaving the hospital or their child’s bedside.  With the help of dedicated volunteers, the cart offers hot beverages, water, snacks, children’s books, toys, and gadgets and accessories, providing comfort and a moment of relief to the entire family.  In 2014, RMHS partnered with Smart Design, to redesign the Happy Wheels cart, and improve its ergonomics, maneuverability, and aesthetics. 

 Family Support Services (FSS)

Supervised by licensed clinical psychologists and faculty from the California School of Professional Psychology, the Family Support Services program is composed of doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows in clinical psychology.  Available 24 hours a day, FSS aims to help families cope with the special challenges of having a child with an illness by providing support and resources and building on the individual family’s strengths.  Additionally, FSS plans and manages House activities that provide a caring, supportive, and fun environment for the families we serve.