Spare Change Donations Fill RMHC Donation Boxes at McDonald’s to Help Strengthen Families with Critically-ill children

Evansville, IN (Wednesday, October 5, 2016) – Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley (RMHC) is celebrating its annual Day of Change and more than 40 years of keeping families close globally. The Evansville chapter, RMHC of the Ohio Valley invites individuals, businesses and community groups to support local families with critically-ill children by visiting local McDonald’s on October 15 and dropping spare change into a RMHC Donation Box.

Throughout 2015, coins donated globally through the Donation Box program totaled more than $52 million in support of over seven million children and families. The RMHC Day of Change is the Charity’s annual call to action to support families with children facing medical crises. A full Donation Box could mean one night at a Ronald McDonald House for a family while their child receives medical treatment.

“A simple act of kindness at the front counter is a powerful gift for local RMHC families,” said Abigail Adler, Development Director. “For families with children in need of critical medical care, the thought of being more than a few steps from the hospital seems just too far. A person’s spare change combined with that of their neighbors can add up to make a big difference for these families. It keeps them close to each other and to the care and resources their child needs.”

The gesture of donating spare change could help parents get higher quality of sleep so they can be better equipped to make important medical decisions for their children. Your spare change provides a space for children to play with others in similar situations and can help them cope with trauma. McDonald’s customers who participate in Day of Change are encouraged to share photos and how they helped to support RMHC on social media using #forRMHC.

RMHC programs provide stability and vital resources to over seven million families in 63 countries and regions through three core programs that include 357 Ronald McDonald Houses, 207 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and 48 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles.