** About Us **
Ottawa's Ronald McDonald House is owned and operated by a 15 member volunteer Board of Directors, and is a not-for-profit organization. We are a registered charity under the name of National Capital Children's Oncology Care Inc. The Board together with our staff and volunteers work tirelessly at the task of making our House a welcoming Home-Away-From-Home for the families who stay with us.
Home can mean many things to many people. Ottawa's Ronald McDonald House is a "Home-Away-From-Home" for families with children suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses being treated at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Treatment of a sick child may take weeks, months or years and is very stressful for the child, the parents and the rest of the family, especially when they are miles from home.
Enter Ronald McDonald House, a place to call "Home" while your child is receiving treatment. Since the House opened its doors in 1984, thousands of children and their families have been welcomed to a place where the caring, warm and friendly environment provides an oasis of peace and hope where there is support and comfort during a time of great stress. Ronald McDonald House eases some of the stress by providing affordable, comfortable accommodation in a homelike atmosphere, where parents can be near their hospitalized child and where families share and receive moral support from each other. Also, a child being treated as an outpatient can stay with the rest of the family, as the hospital is only a short walk away.
Life at Ronald McDonald House revolves around 14 bedrooms, several pleasant sitting rooms, games room/library, airy glassed-in dining room, and a large,bright and fully equipped kitchen. The House sits in a beautiful garden setting. Ronald McDonald House has a resident manager who is there to look after the concerns and needs of the families any time of the day or night. Our families are asked to pay a nominal fee of $10.00 per room per night.
Parents and children from all walks of life, from Northern Ontario, Kingston to Cornwall, and from as far away as Newfoundland, look to Ronald McDonald House in times of crisis. Our House is proud to be associated with McDonald's. The McDonald's Restaurant across Canada and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada lends support to the 12 Canadian Houses through the Ten Cent Happy Meal Program. While McDonald's and their Charity, RMHC, is a long term committed partner, we need to fundraise in the community for the day-to-day operation costs and the majority of our financial obligations. This valuable community resource relies entirely on individuals, community groups and businesses in Ottawa and surrounding areas for funding for its continued successful operation as an integral part of Ottawa's medical community. A dedicated group of volunteers supplements the services and support offered to families and assists in the ongoing fundraising for the House.
