Ronald McDonald House Charities® of the Ohio Valley creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. The Ohio Valley Chapter is part of a global network of local Chapters in 45 countries and regions. Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley keeps families with a sick or injured child close to each other and to the care and resources they need. For families faced with a child’s illness, regular life stops in an instant and parents enter a world of fear and worry. For parents who don’t live close to the medical care their child needs, there is an added stress: distance. Many families have to travel an hour or more for life-saving medical treatments and therapies. Living expenses quickly add up. Families become stressed from long drives, lost jobs, worried siblings, hotel expenses, and being far from family and friends. These are extra burdens no family should have to experience. Imagine having a child in the hospital who is seriously ill or critically injured. Not overnight but for weeks, even months. Worried. Uncertain. Never wanting to leave his or her side. Yet longing to close your eyes, if only for a minute. Comfort of any kind is a blessing — a soft bed, a hot meal, a quiet place to gather your thoughts. But still only minutes from your child. Keeping families close. That’s what Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley does for countless families 365 days a year.

House Programs
For families faced with a child’s illness, regular life stops in an instant and parents enter a world of fear and worry. For parents who don’t live close to the medical care their child needs, there is an added stress — distance. Many families have to travel an hour or more for treatments. Living expenses quickly add up. Families become stressed from long drives, lost jobs, worried siblings, hotel expenses, and being far from family and friends. Our Houses are also available to local families who do not need an overnight stay but perhaps a meal, shower, or just a break from the hospital setting.

We serve these families at two locations: our first house, which opened in 2010 and offers 10 guest rooms, is located on the Ascension St. Vincent campus on Washington Avenue in Evansville, Indiana. Our second house, which opened in 2019 and offers 16 guest rooms, is located on the Deaconess Gateway campus in Newburgh. Both houses provide much more than a room to stay in or a break from the hospital setting — they provide families with comfort, support, and access to the resources they need. In addition to guest rooms, both houses offer fully stocked kitchens and pantries, living rooms, playrooms, and fully stocked laundry rooms.

Hospitality a la Carte Program
When days are filled with medical appointments and long hours at the hospital, it can be hard to come by simple comforts. The Hospitality a la Carte program allows us to expand our reach beyond just families staying at the Houses to any family with a loved one in a local hospital. Several times a week, volunteers stock a Happy Wheels Cart with complimentary snacks, toiletries, reading material as well as small toys and crafts for patients and siblings. They “make rounds” through hospital hallways. Happy Wheels Carts are located at Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville, The Women’s Hospital, Deaconess Gateway Hospital, Memorial Hospital & Health Care Center, St. Vincent Hospital for Women & Children, Deaconess Henderson, and the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center.

Volunteers
More than 200 volunteers keep our Houses running smoothly, helping us with a range of needs from administrative tasks to housekeeping and maintenance to manning our fundraising events to preparing home-cooked meals. These amazing people build friendships with each other and bond with the families we serve. They truly are the heart of our home!