The Reno Ronald McDonald house is a haven for families of sick kids, in treatment at area hospitals. The doors are shut due to the pandemic, but Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Nevada is still helping the families that need it most.
"It has been tough not being able to accept these families," said Matt Vaughan with RMHC Northern Nevada. "So we have to help these families from afar. Whether it's getting them discounts at hotels, taking them meals, just being there as a support system. Though the house is currently closed, we can't wait to start accepting families again."
They're using this time to ramp up construction on a much-anticipated renovation project.
"The house has been here for over 30 years and is in need of some updates," Vaughan said. "So we're very happy that in just a few months time we'll have 12 brand-new guest rooms for all our families that stay here."
It's a project made possible by a caring community. The nonprofit raised more than $200,000 for this first phase.
"We had a lot of people step up at our Red Shoe Gala last year and donate, in addition to a matching gift from the Pennington Foundation," Vaughan said. "so we're very fortunate we live in a generous community that was able to make this happen for us."
And until they can reopen the doors here, they'll continue helping families focus on what matters most.
"Our biggest goal is to make sure these families feel supported at all times," Vaughan said. "Whether they're staying at the house, whether they're interacting with our staff in the family room at the hospital, wherever it is, we want to make sure they're getting all the resources they need so they can focus on what's most important, and that's being at their child's bedside."
