Who We Are

Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. RMHC offers access to care and resources to families- especially when they have a sick child through its global network of over 380 Chapters in more than 60 countries and regions with its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room, and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. And here in Southwest Florida, we offer all three core programs.

RMHC Southwest Florida provides stability and resources to families so they can be near their children while they receive the care they need. All RMHC Southwest Florida supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and help give children and families the time they need together.


Our Mission

Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southwest Florida creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties.

We provide impact through three core programs:

  • The Ronald McDonald House® provides lodging, meals, and other supportive services to families of seriously ill or injured children receiving medical treatment at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida or other local medical facilities.
  • The Ronald McDonald Family Room® is located at Golisano Children’s Hospital and provides families and caretakers with bagged lunches, beverages, snacks, laundry facilities, and more in a relaxing environment.
  • The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® provides dental and medical care through our partnership with two healthcare providers for underserved children.

Of the 40 RMHC Care Mobile programs worldwide, we proudly have two serving our community.


 How it all began for RMHC® of Southwest Florida

 Ronald McDonald House Charities was created by a community of like-minded individuals who came together in the late 1980s. The community proposed the idea of raising funds to build a Ronald McDonald House near The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Spearheaded by the Frederic family and other local McDonald’s restaurant owners/operators, the group began raising the funds necessary to make their dream a reality. The collected funds were held, in trust, by the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities of South Florida, located in Miami.

In 1991, the Ronald McDonald House of Southwest Florida was incorporated. Five years later, in August of 1996, the doors of the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in SWFL were open to children and their families.

As the permanent population of families with children increased, the RMH Board of Directors felt the importance of having local control of programs and funds. This way, they could ensure that children and families of Southwest Florida would benefit exponentially from the program.

In September of 2003, The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida became incorporated as a 501(C) 3 Non-Profit Organization.

RMHC of Southwest Florida continues to enjoy the support of a caring community that includes a volunteer Board of Directors and Advisory Council, local McDonald’s owner/operators, corporate sponsors, community groups, individual donors, professional staff, and many wonderful volunteers. All the stakeholders work tirelessly and have become an integral part of the RMHC family.

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