There are currently 322 Ronald McDonald's Houses in 52 countries and regions. Ronald McDonald Houses act as a place to stay for families with hospitalized children who are receiving treatment. Ronald McDonald's Houses provide over 7,200 bedrooms to families around the world each night, with an estimated value of $257 million in lieu of hotel costs.
There are currently 161 Ronald McDonald's Family Rooms [2] in 19 countries and regions. These Rooms accommodate over 3,000 families each day who live in the local community and don't need to stay at a Ronald McDonald House. They provide a place for family members to rest, wash clothes, take a shower, or nap near the vicinity of their child.
There are currently 43 Ronald McDonald's Care Mobiles [3] in 6 countries. Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles are mobile clinics that offer affordable health care for children in their own neighborhoods. The program serves more than 100,000 children a year, and saves families in the U.S. $10 million in medical and dental costs each year.
The Ronald McDonald's Learning Program (Australia only) was formed in 1997 to help children who had suffered serious illness and returned to school. The stated mission of the program is to provide educational support to these children who have fallen behind in their education. The Ronald McDonald Learning Program is the only program of its kind in Australia.[citation needed]
The Ronald McDonald's Learning Program supplies students with:
A Cognitive and Educational assessment by an Educational Psychologist
40 hours of individual tutoring by a qualified teacher
10 sessions of Speech or Occupational Therapy, if required
International
In 1981, the first Ronald McDonald's House outside the United States opened, in Toronto, Ontario.[citation needed] In 1991, the 150th Ronald McDonald's House opened, in Paris, France. On July 25, 2005, the 250th opened, in Caracas, Venezuela. The first in-hospital Ronald McDonald House in APMEA (Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa) opened at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7, 2011. Currently there are 324 Ronald McDonald's Houses in 57 countries.
Donation Boxes
RMHC Donation Boxes are located in most McDonald's restaurants.
Pop Tab Program
Through the RMHC Pop Tab Collection Program, to date more than $4 million has been generated. The Pop Tab Collection Program has been established to allow individuals and businesses to collect soda pop tabs from aluminum cans and donate them to their local RMHC Chapter or Ronald McDonald's House. Though it differs from program to program, for the most part, RMHC Chapters use the money received from recycling the tabs to help offset operational expenses or to sponsor or support programs. Not all Houses participate in the Pop Tab Program.
Awards
Worth magazine named Ronald McDonald's House Charity one of "America’s 100 Best Charities" in 2001 and 2002.[3][4]
June 5, 2008 USGBC Awards LEED Platinum Rating to Ronald McDonald's House Charities of Austin and Central Texas, first LEED Platinum Ronald McDonald's House in the world.[citation needed]
The U.S. Green Building Council certified the Ronald McDonald's House Charities of Austin and Central Texas (RMHC-ACT) with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest level of sustainable building in the nation.[citation needed] Not only is the green design good for the environment, the eco-friendly features create a healthier environment for the children and families[citation needed] staying at the Ronald McDonald's House while children are treated at area medical centers.[5][6][7]