Our House
The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley (RMHGHV) is committed to keeping families with sick or injured children close to each other and to the care and resources they need.
Families come from near and far to receive treatment for their children at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network. Our relationship with the children’s hospital began in 2004 when the Ronald McDonald Family Room opened within the hospital. Recognizing the need to expand both the hospital and our program, in 2011, Westchester Medical Center built our House just steps away from the children’s hospital entrance, with initial design and furnishings provided by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Inc.
From 2021 to 2022, the House underwent significant renovations. One Room Wonders and D2 Playrooms led the original remodel, focusing on the kitchen and playroom. The rest of the House was transformed through a project called Designing Hope. ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) and Aspire Magazine helped organize Designing Hope, bringing in a team of talented designers. The House provides meals and overnight lodging for over 200 families and hosts hundreds of Day Program participants.
Mission
The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley is committed to providing hope, help, and a home away from home for families of children requiring critical care.
We achieve our mission through the quality, experience, and dedication of our staff and volunteers, as well as support from our community and local businesses.
Vision
We envision a world where all children have access to the medical care they need, and families are supported and actively involved in their treatment.
Values
Responsive – Addressing the needs of families with critically ill children;
Compassionate – Providing care and support to those in need;
Inclusive – Celebrating the diversity of the families we serve;
Honest – Stewarding our donor funding with accountability and transparency.
No family should have to deal with their child's medical crisis alone. Together, we're making sure they don't have to.
Our 12-bedroom House provides over 200 families per year with overnight accommodations during their child’s medical treatment. Playing a major role in family-centered care by keeping families with critically ill and traumatically injured children close to each other and to the care and resources they need. Though many of our families are from the tri-state area, we have served guests from all over the world. Families have come from as far away as Hong Kong, California, Canada, the Dominican Republic and beyond!
From a Family Room to a House: The Birth of Ronald McDonald House
It all began in 1974 in Philadelphia. Dr. Audrey Evans, a pediatric oncologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, saw families spend night after night in the hospital while their children received life-saving medical treatment. She knew there had to be a better way to support families of sick children. Dr. Evans envisioned a simple house where families could stay during those stressful and uncertain times.
At the exact same time that Dr. Evans was envisioning this house, the Philadelphia Eagles were raising funds in support of player Fred Hill, whose daughter Kim was in treatment for leukemia at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. When the Eagles General Manager, Jimmy Murray, approached St. Christopher’s about making a donation, the hospital suggested there was an even greater need for funds resting with Dr. Evans.
Jimmy Murray then met Dr. Evans and quickly learned of her concept of a home for families. He reached out to McDonald’s with the idea that they could offer the proceeds from their Shamrock Shake sales to benefit this new house. McDonald’s agreed, and the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House was born on October 15, 1974.
