Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana

Providing Hope and Hospitality in the Heart of Edward Hospital

Our Family Room will serve as a haven of respite and hospitality to families whose children are in treatment.  Located just outside the pediatric intensive care unit and outpatient service area, the space will provide a home-like atmosphere away from the stress of the hospital, allowing families a moment to rest and rejuvenate, so that they can face the stress of the hospital visit with renewed energy. 

The Family Room will be approximately 1700 square feet and include 2 sleep rooms with private bathrooms, a playroom for patients and siblings, a kitchenette, dining tables, television area, two computer stations and multiple sitting areas.

 We plan to open our doors to families this spring!

Ways to get involved

·        “Meals from the Heart” Volunteers

Families spend long days at the hospital and don’t have time to prepare a meal for themselves.  Giving these families the chance to sit down to a warm meal is a great way to make Ronald McDonald Family Room truly a “home away from home” for families who need it most.

Since we are in a hospital setting, all meal donations need to be catered or store purchased/sealed.  Possible ways for the community to help provide food for the families include:

♥ Restaurant donated meals

♥ Groups or individuals sponsoring a catered meal

 Donors can plan to provide for 25 people.  The gratitude for families for this service will be tremendous!

·        Family Ambassador Volunteers

Once we open the Family Room, we will need volunteers to donate their time and talents to make our Family Room a home.  As with all of our Houses, there will be minimal staff.  We therefore rely on our generous volunteers to work with us to take care of the Family Room and our families.

Our Family Room will be open from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.  Volunteers will commit to regular four hour shifts during that timeframe.  Volunteers will:

♥ Greet and register families

♥ Handle family questions

♥ Answer the phone

♥ Keep Family Room clean and well stocked

♥ Assist with playroom group activities

♥ Put final welcoming touches on bedrooms

·        In-Kind Donations

• Bed, Bath & Beyond  (click the link to directly visit the registry)

• Target (click the link to directly visit the registry)

Katie Allabough at (630) 527-3800 or KAllabough@rmhccni.org