Our mission: The mission of RMHC is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families.
Our vision: A world where all children have access to medical care and their families are supported and actively involved in their children’s care.
OUR HISTORY
It all began in 1973 when Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill and his wife, Fran, learned that their daughter, Kim, had leukemia.
While traveling into Philadelphia for treatment at the children’s hospital, they met other families in the same situation. These families drove hours to the hospital to be with their children, only to sleep overnight in waiting room chairs and to eat from vending machines because they had nowhere else to go.
Fred Hill and his football team decided to do something for these families… build them a “home-away-from-home” in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles teamed up with local McDonald’s Owner/Operators to raise money to purchase and restore a house near the hospital where these families could stay. Hence, the first Ronald McDonald House was born. Since that time, more than 300 Houses have been built worldwide.
The drive to establish a Ronald McDonald House in Lubbock first originated in 1981 by the Junior League of Lubbock. In 1983, a non-profit organization named Family House, Inc. was organized, and the local co-op of McDonald’s restaurants and the national McDonald’s Corporation solidly backed the project. The community rallied together to fund the project and on September 14, 1985, ground was broken.
On March 10,1988, the Ronald McDonald House of Lubbock opened to its first family. In 1996, 8 more bedrooms and an extended dining room were added to the House. Then, in 2004 the Ronald McDonald House of the Permian Basin joined with the Ronald McDonald House of Lubbock to become Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Southwest.
Since then, RMHC of the Southwest has opened 4 Ronald McDonald Family Room Programs at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa (2006), Covenant Children’s (2006), UMC (2006), and Midland Memorial Hospital (2022). We continue to grow and expand our programs to better serve families who have a child receiving medical care.
OUR REGION
Although we serve families from across the country and around the world, our primary areas of service include Lubbock and the South Plains, the Permian Basin, the Big Country, the Concho Valley, and Southeastern New Mexico.
We have direct responsibilities in 68 counties, which equates to 26% of the state of Texas.
In 2023, the top 5 counties our overnight guests (those stayed in our Ronald McDonald House or sleep rooms in our Ronald McDonald Family Rooms) came from:
- Lea, NM (12%)
- Ector, TX (9%)
- Midland, TX (7%)
- Curry, NM (6%)
- Gains, TX (5%)
DONORS
Make a lasting impact and bring joy to families in need by donating today to The Ronald McDonald House.
VOLUNTEERS
Discover the transformative power of volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, where your time and compassion can make a world of difference in the lives of families in need.
FAMILIES
Welcome to the Ronald McDonald House, a place where families find solace, support, and a home away from home during challenging times.
