19 May In 40 Years, Serving Nearly 60,000 Families So Far

It’s been 40 years since this journey began, 40 years since visionaries whose hearts were filled with love, compassion and tenacity turned a dream into reality.

That dream dared to consider meaningful ways the Atlanta community could help sick children and their families. It challenged conventional thinking and continued to ask, “What if?”

In 1979, just five years after the the national charity was founded, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities began our mission to serve families with ill and injured children receiving nearby medical care. Guided by the singular premise that families dealing with children’s health crises should only have to focus on their child rather than where they can afford to stay or where they’ll get their next meal, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities has served nearly 60,000 families.

This commitment to keeping families together and supporting their emotional and psychological well-being along with their physical needs, has drawn strength from a community of people who’ve championed this mission every step of the way.

From leadership that’s continued to envision an even better future for our families to volunteers and donors who’ve ensured all the needs were generously met, we are a 40-year testament to what devotion can accomplish. From eight to 81 bedrooms, 352 families served per year to more than 3,500, this is a legacy of equal parts love and perseverance.

This year’s annual report pays homage to everything and everyone along the way — all the work that has resulted in two state-of-the-art Ronald McDonald Houses, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Scottish Rite, and the staff member responsible for more smiles per second, Chief Happiness Officer Betty Lou, the Golden Retriever.

We invite you to join us as we honor our past and look ahead to a future where more families are kept close, recover together and experience the joy of making their own memories.