FIFTEEN YEARS OF COMFORTING FAMILIES: THE LONG BEACH RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SEEKS NEW DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CONTINUE ITS MISSION

By John Grossi  |  Photos submitted by Long Beach Ronald McDonald House

Families with children undergoing cancer treatment, extremely premature infants, those receiving care for severe allergies, and youth in need of reconstructive surgery all find comfort and respite at the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House. It’s a beautiful, peaceful home with hot-cooked meals served daily, and every amenity you might need is available at no cost. 

While many people are aware that Ronald McDonald houses help assist families with critically ill children, most do not realize the range of services provided. In 2024, they served over 524 families and had an average occupany of 70%. “Our job is to remove obstacles from their lives so that they can be with their child,” says Executive Director Nina Patel. “They want to be as physically close to their child as possible. Providing a house nearby is the first step.” 

She continued, “In addition to free meals and a room in which to stay, we provide breakfast items and ingredients to prepare quick and easy meals. Along with that, grocery gift cards are available for those who need them. Each family has their own personal refrigerator and cabinet to store dry goods. We have a playroom for the siblings, a library and story time twice a month, free washer and dryer, and family support services. Counseling is provided to help them through these tough times and remains available forever after their stay.”

Misconceptions About Funding of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House 

The one big assumption is that the house is fully funded by McDonald’s restaurants. In fact, McDonald’s funds 10-15% of the operations to run Ronald McDonald houses nationwide. Through the generosity of McDonald’s franchise owners and operators like Ron Piazza, local McDonald’s restaurants help fund the House through promotions like their Shamrock Shake and “round-up” campaigns. Fundraising effort remains largely dependent on local support.  Nina Patel commented, “I’ve never before experienced this kind of love and charitable giving at any other non-profit as I do here.  

Executive Director, Nina Patel

Ways To Get Involved

Volunteers are at the heart of the house, so offering your time to help is one of the best ways to get involved. Every day, the house welcomes individuals as well as corporate teams to cook a hot meal for the guests. There are plenty of other volunteer opportunities such as event support, guest services, and administrative assistance. 

Locals Chris Ahumada and Sharlene Endo are recent retirees who have made it their routine to visit the house at least once a week and do whatever needs to be done. Often that means folding linens, organizing care kits, and snack bags. What has surprised Chris the most about the house is, “Just how peaceful it is and how compassionate the staff is. It’s really important, especially for the hospitalized child’s siblings, to have a place that isn’t as stressful and chaotic as the hospital where they can rest and be children.” 

Ways To Donate

With the 15-year anniversary coming up, the house is looking to expand its services and “serve more families better,” including launching “hospitality cart” services to families who have children in hospitals in the South Bay, but are not guests of the house. These carts will provide snacks, drinks, activity kits, toiletries, reading materials, games, puzzles, blankets and pillows- bringing comfort and support during a challenging time. To donate, go to rmhscs. org/longbeach/ and consider attending their flagship gala, “A Few Good Men and Women,” on October 29th, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach. Details are available at rmhscs.org/longbeach/ or call (562) 285-4304.

Jarrett and Jessika’s Story

Due to pregnancy complications, Jessika had to be induced at 32 weeks. After 17 hours of labor, her twins were delivered at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach and put into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where they would remain for two more weeks until they were healthy enough to go home. 

However, dangerously within an hour of delivery Jessika hemorrhaged. The physicians and nurses took great care in saving her life, but Jessika was left unable to drive a car or walk great distances, making it extremely difficult to care for not only one but two childrean in the NICU.

“I couldn’t get to a store, I couldn’t drive, we had an empty apartment and had not yet completed moving to our house,” says Jessika. “I needed to be close by my boys to feed them, and I was worried where we were going to stay because Jarrett had to return to work. Our nurse referred us to the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House. When we walked through those double doors we felt a sense of relief because it gave us one less thing to worry about. I knew we were going to be all right.”