Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio

Ronald McDonald House programs in Akron and Cleveland provide families with ill or injured children a welcoming and supportive place to stay near the hospital. 2022 saw a steady rise in House occupancy. In addition to outdoor activities, families were again able to gather in beautiful indoor community spaces, benefiting from the support of others in similar circumstances. Once again, a feeling of comradery and the laughter of children filled the Houses with hope.At full capacity, RMHC NEO can accommodate 95 families per night at the Akron and Cleveland locations. Though numbers were still somewhat impacted by COVID in 2022, 18,462 nights of lodging were provided for 948 families. Forty percent of guest families stayed more than once, bringing the total number of family visits to 1,361. Families came from 16 countries and 37 US states. Ohio residents made up 64.5% of families and their stays averaged 18 nights. Other top states included Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, and West Virginia; out-of-state families stayed an average of 10 nights. Ohio residents came from 64 different counties, the top ten counties being Stark, Trumbull, Mahoning, Lucas, Lorain, Ashtabula, Tuscarawas, Wayne, Columbiana, and Cuyahoga. International families made up 2.1% of families, with a 37 night average stay.No family is ever charged a room fee. Though the nightly room cost is approximately $150, families are never asked to pay. Some families choose to donate to assist with continued operations, supporting future families who will stay at a House. Most of the nightly room cost is supported by generous donors.Family meals help keep families strong so they can focus on what matters most - their children. Throughout much of the year, the Cleveland House kitchen was under construction. During that time, 37 catered meals were donated by groups who could not cook in person. The new, state-of-the-art kitchen allows us to serve more meals in more locations and accommodate future needs.In 2022, 59,323 lunches and dinners were served, along with daily continental breakfasts, 24/7 self-serve snacks and beverages, saving families more than $900,000. 15,860 Boxed lunches were produced in House kitchens and delivered to families at four hospital Family Room programs and Akron Children's Hospital. In addition, 2,264 breakfast bags provided families with items to sustain themselves during the day. Bags are delivered weekly to Akron Children's Hospital Beeghly Campus and Mercy Health St. Elizabeth's NICU.Volunteers were back in full force at all programs, and we could not be more grateful for their support! Individual volunteers play a variety of roles, keeping our programs running, our spaces in tiptop shape, and supporting the families we serve with warmth and compassion.Volunteer Recognition was back in person in 2022, with a celebratory dinner and ceremony. Awards were given for years of service, and two House-program volunteers received special honors. In 2022, 381 individual volunteers provided 20,675 hours of service, adding up to a value of $619,216. Included were seven pet therapy partners who brought nine dogs for 32 visits!

RedTreehouse.org is an online program devoted to helping families of children with disabilities and health care needs find support resources relevant to their situations. In addition to a full audit of the collection of 6,000+ resources, in 2022 the focus was on upgrading RedTreehouse.org. New search pathways, curated by medical condition and area of need, guide families toward commonly needed resources. The new site also features Parent and Pro Picks, a resource blog with contributions from health care professionals and parents of children with special needs and medical challenges.In 2022, 17,391 users visited the site for a total of 22,341 sessions. Nine new helpful guides were posted, with topics such as Pediatric Palliative Care, Finding Support and Info When a Child Receives a Rare Disease Diagnosis, and Bullying Prevention through Inclusion. A new partnership was formed with Unite Us, the nation's leading software company that enables collaboration across sectors to improve the health and well-being of communities. Users of the Unite Us coordinated care network can now connect families directly to Red Treehouse resources.

Ronald McDonald Family Room programs in four Cleveland-area hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Children's, Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, MetroHealth Medical Center and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's) offer a space for families to rest and recharge just steps from their child's treatment room. Each Family Room is equipped with a kitchenette stocked with snacks and beverages, comfortable sitting area with TV, small play area for children, and computers with internet. Some also include a private restroom with shower and laundry facilities, and sleep rooms (assigned by hospital staff). Happy Wheels mobile hospitality carts bring comfort to the bedside for those who cannot step away. Throughout 2022, visitor restrictions at partner hospitals gradually lifted, and siblings and extended families returned to Family Room spaces. Families once again gathered for meals, holidays, and milestones in the Rooms, benefiting from much-needed moments of normalcy. Comradery with others in similar situations, comforts like a hot shower and freshly washed laundry provided needed rejuvenation for many who couldn't leave the hospital. In total, 3,743 families registered at Family Rooms, visiting more than 21,126 times. There were 14,085 kitchenette uses, 15,012 meals served, and 899 comfort items given in the rooms. Where available, 1,472 loads of laundry were washed, and 3,257 showers taken. Happy Wheels carts delivered 2,218 comfort items to families who could not leave their child's bedside. Supply baskets provided 7,320 snacks and care items to families during overnight hours.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, in partnership with UH Rainbow Babies & Children's, brings dental care to at-risk children ages 3-12 right in their communities. Though still limited by COVID restrictions and staffing issues, the state-of-the-art dentist office on wheels provided diagnostic, preventative, and restorative treatment and health education to 1,040 families.

Providing Support, Teaching, Awareness and Resources, the Ronald McDonald STAR Center at Cleveland Clinic Children's Outpatient Center is a fun and welcoming learning environment for children while their siblings receive care. It allows caregivers to turn their full attention to the child receiving treatment. The STAR Center had been closed due to COVID, but reopened in the last quarter of 2022, serving 136 families in three months.Planning continued for a STAR Corner in the new emergency department of Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley Campus, slated to open in 2023.