Ronald McDonald House
Providing the gift of togetherness
What We Do
Our House is where the little things make the biggest difference.
At Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha, we know that oftentimes, it’s the little things that provide the most comfort. A hot cup of coffee in the morning. The smell of clean laundry. The feeling of a fresh haircut.
Just like you, our families appreciate those little things in our House, as well as crawling into a warm bed after a long day in the hospital room. The taste of a home-cooked meal, even while far from home. A calming voice saying, “it’ll be okay.”
When families travel to Omaha for their child’s medical care, they need those little things to get through it. They find them at Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha.
How to Stay
It’s Our Goal to Make The Extraordinary
Ordinary
Why do we focus on keeping things ordinary? Because the families we serve are regular folks facing unfamiliar situations – with kids who have been diagnosed with medical issues that are sometimes rare, sometimes chronic and sometimes both. And they’re often hundreds of miles from home.
What they need is a welcoming place to stay and the little things that bring a sense of normalcy. Laundry facilities. Meals. Help with schoolwork. Places to hang out, watch movies or play games. Assistance with managing finances and things back home. Maybe even a haircut or two.
So yes, we get very, very excited about keeping things on an even keel.
Consider Us the Made-to-Order,
One-of-a-Kind,
Double with Everything
In 1994, we opened our House with 10 guest rooms. In 2000, we doubled our capacity to 20. In 2019, we doubled down on doubling up and have expanded to 40 guest rooms. But that was just part of the plan. We’ve got extras and add-ons and unexpected upgrades galore. RMHC in Omaha’s facilities are unlike any other House in the world. A designation we honestly hope doesn’t last very long.
We Couldn’t Say it Better Ourselves
In 2020, RMHC in Omaha hosted 196 families from 22 states who spent a total of 4,777 nights – with an average stay of 35 days – at the House. Half of these families were making the trip to Omaha for the first time. And while each family shares a common bond, their stories are uniquely their own.
Help Us Keep the Love Local
Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha may be named after an internationally famous big-shoed burgermeister, but our mission and funding is decidedly local.
Our funding is raised throughout the year at several RMHC events, the collection of pop can tabs (seriously, it helps pay our electric bill), and various kind-hearted corporate and individual donors from around the community.
Additional funding comes in part from McDonald’s Owners of Nebraska and Western Iowa, the regional McDonald’s franchisee group, who support us as title sponsors of our annual golf tournament, via the donation boxes at McDonald’s drive-thrus, and many assorted other forms of generosity.
It costs $120 per night to host a family. And while we suggest that each family contribute $20 towards that amount, no one is ever turned away due to financial reasons.
So, if you’d like to donate and perhaps sponsor a night, or if you’re more of the volunteering type, call us today at 402-346-9377, and we will find the best fit for you.
Benefits of Staying at the House
There is clinical research supporting that Ronald McDonald House is the best housing option for families when they are away from home and their child needs medical care. These are a few of the benefits that families receive while staying at Ronald McDonald House:
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Support Access to Care
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Reduce Financial Burden
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Provide Psychological Support Keeping Families Together
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Enhance Clinical Experience and Outcomes
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Help Families Resume Normalcy
Our Partners & Programming
Through many amazing partnerships, we are able to provide wrap-around services for all members of the family.
Below is a list that captures many of our partners and programs.
- Meals That Heal: Under current guidelines, businesses, families, and other groups of up to six people are allowed to enter RMHC’s commercial kitchen and cook a hot meal every evening for the families. Volunteers must follow strict safety protocols, including mask wearing.
- Completely KIDS: Many of our children experience large gaps in education due to illness. Completely KIDS offers curriculum-based programming for the kids, along with programming for adults such as parenting skills or knitting.
- Omaha Therapy Arts Collaborative and Project Harmony: Created a pre-trauma support group that addresses the significant gap in much needed mental health care for the entire family of sick pediatric patients.
- Simon Says Live Better Foundation: Visits RMHC monthly to throw a birthday party celebrating all children and parents’ birthdays that month.
- Om-Pop: Offers mindful parenting tools and techniques, along with yoga poses, activities and breathing exercises for children that help with stress, anxiety, courage, resilience, and self-love.
- Capitol School of Hairstyling and Esthetics: Provides haircuts in our House salon. This provides an overall feeling of well-being to all family members staying at the House, especially those who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
- Huey, a community therapy dog with Paws of Friendship, and Ralphie, therapy dog in training: Provide in-person support by appointment.
- Private Tutoring: This new program pairs a retired volunteer teacher with children staying at the House. Any parent or guardian staying at the House may request this service for their child.
To learn more about the House, or to visit us and take a tour, please call us at 402-346-9377
