Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maryland (RMH) provides a welcoming place for families to stay while their seriously ill children receive medical treatment nearby. Because of RMH, financially challenged families can stay together near the care and resources they need. At full occupancy, RMH serves 55 families nightly and 2,200 each year.
Mealtime at RMH is a chance for families in similar situations to connect and decompress after long days at the hospital. Volunteer teams—comprising hundreds of helpers—buy ingredients, prepare meals at RMH, and serve families in the dining room almost every day.
Because of COVID-19, however, RMH paused its volunteer program and adjusted daily operations to help keep guests safe. Although the pandemic has meant fewer families staying at RMH, additional funds have been needed for meal costs, normally covered by volunteers.
A small grant from IOCC is subsidizing 20 dinners for 10 families at RMH Maryland, helping this valuable program continue in an especially fraught time. Medical stress is high for many because of the pandemic, but it’s even more devastating for families with an ill child. The IOCC grant is a small extension of the love and support the RMH community offers these families.
