Lansing, Mich. — When a child needs medical care, the treatment plan is only part of the equation. Families also need a place to sleep, a hot meal, transportation, connection to their community, and the ability to stay close to their child during a difficult time. That is where Ronald McDonald House Mid-Michigan comes in and provides these services at no cost.
The physical Ronald McDonald House Mid-Michigan in Lansing is a part of a global network of 250 independently operated Ronald McDonald House chapters in more than 60 countries and regions. And now, the entire network is reintroducing itself to the businesses, health care providers, and community organizations that can help make its mission possible, including right here for the families in need of support in Mid-Michigan.
“The House is inviting new and existing partners to consider a simple question: What role can your organization play in keeping families close?” said Ronald McDonald House Mid-Michigan Executive Director Carolyn Hurst. “Most people don’t realize that nearly 60% of our support comes from our local business partners and individual donors.”
When a family arrives at the House, they are not simply receiving a place to stay. They are gaining a community designed to help reduce some of the practical and emotional challenges that come with having a sick or injured child. Staying close to the hospital means parents and caregivers can remain near their child’s health care team while maintaining a sense of normalcy for themselves and their other children. For families traveling from another community, that proximity can make an overwhelming experience feel a little more manageable.
The House’s ability to welcome families depends on more than the people working inside its doors. It requires an infrastructure of community support. This includes financial contributions, donations, corporate partnerships, volunteers, and connections to additional resources for families.
For businesses and corporations, supporting Ronald McDonald House Mid-Michigan is a tangible way to invest in the families and health care systems within the communities they serve. Partnerships can take many forms, and the House is looking to connect with organizations that want to find the right fit for their business, employees, and community. Every partnership helps create the infrastructure families rely on during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
“MSUFCU is proud to support Ronald McDonald House Mid-Michigan and the vital role it plays in keeping families close when a child needs medical care, said MSU Federal Credit Union Vice President of Human Resources Chelsea Schaberg. “Through our longstanding partnership, including the annual Run for the House, we’ve seen firsthand that the House provides far more than lodging; it offers comfort, connection, and stability during some of life’s most challenging moments. We’re honored to support a mission that reflects our shared commitment to strengthening families and the communities we serve.”
For hospital and medical partners, Ronald McDonald House Mid-Michigan provides an important resource for families who live outside the Lansing area or otherwise need support while their child receives medical care. Hospital social workers, care teams, and medical providers can refer eligible families to the House when a child is receiving treatment at a partner hospital.
“It’s a new look, but the same heart,” Hurst. “The essential services we provide, like lodging, meals and family support for children receiving treatment in Lansing, plus programs throughout Michigan like transfer bags, Hospitality Carts and Ronald McDonald House Family Room programs inside hospitals – that’s the heart our communities and partners make possible. We couldn’t do it without them.”
