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Our Mission
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area surrounds families with the support they need to be near and care for their seriously ill or injured children. We provide a home-away-from-home to ease daily burdens and empower families of hospitalized children with meaningful experiences and quality time together.
RMHC is committed to providing exceptional programs with fiscal responsibility, accountability, and compassionate thoughtfulness.
A Home Away From Home
When families have children who require medical help far away from home, we’re here. Our Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms provide a temporary home-away-from-home to serve and sustain families of children receiving treatment at area hospitals. Many children cope and heal better when surrounded by loved ones. By keeping our welcoming doors open to families in need, we provide a place where they can rest and regroup, hope and heal, laugh and love. We keep families close.
Community Support
Our work relies on the generosity of friends and neighbors like you—from charitable foundations and corporations, to smaller groups and individuals who want to help families in need. We are building a community of care, where volunteers prepare meals and donors provide funds to keep the lights on. Learn how you can get involved here. Learn more about our funding below.
Our History: A Legacy of Love
What started as a 13-room house in 1988 has grown to a 75-room house in Salt Lake City, along with three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in Primary Children’s Hospital and one at the University of Utah, and a Hospitality Cart at Ogden Regional Medical Center. With the help of our community over the last thirty five years, we have served over 125,000 families! We celebrate this legacy of love and look back on the last 30 years of incredible moments through the photos and milestones highlighted below.
Meet Ollie
Proudly serving as RMHC’s CPO (Chief PAWSitivity Officer), Ollie is our official Therapy Dog. Ollie offers love and connection for our pediatric patient guest families by entertaining them with his arsenal of tricks, snuggling when it’s most needed, and just generally being everyone’s favorite pal. (He’s getting excellent performance reviews!)
Ollie was born on December 29th, 2015 in Westfield, Indiana. With the help of Keller Williams, Ollie was brought to RMHC in May 2016 to offer joy, love, and snuggles to families, volunteers, and staff.
Ollie was trained by Jessica and her team of trainers at Ultimate Canine. He has continued his training thanks to Willow Creek Pet Clinic who makes sure is on the top of his game.
Willow Creek Pet Center donates Ollie’s bi-weekly grooming and glam sessions, as well as all of his veterinary care. Thanks, Willow Creek! Ollie’s food has been donated by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, making sure he gets the very best to keep him strong and healthy.
Ollie has been taken care of by his DAWG TEAM, made up of wonderful volunteers who see to his every need and make sure pediatric patient guest families get plenty of time to visit with him.
Part of Ollie’s health regimen is to swim weekly at Barley’s Dog Recreation Center. He and his pal Annie race for tennis balls and chase each other around the pool.
Ollie loves hanging out with guests in the house! He is always willing to listen to a good book, cuddle up, and even occasionally share his toy or bone. If guests ask nicely, Ollie will show off and give “knuckles” or do another trick for his friends.
Dogs have been utilized as a therapeutic resource by many medical professionals for centuries because they allow people to feel safe and accepted. Nothing makes Ollie happier than greeting his friends and giving them love.
Ollie regularly welcomes new guests and makes them feel right at home. Here he is welcoming his new pals Lyndon and Crosby to the Ronald McDonald House.
Ollie now has a new sister, Olive. Together they visit the families at the Ronald McDonald House and Family Rooms with their amazing handler, Duncan!
Fun facts about Ollie
- One of his favorite parts of the day is letting his ears flap in the wind as he drives to and from work
- Goes swimming and hiking at least once a week
- Favorite snack: hot dogs
- Favorite trick: “knuckles”
- Does an outstanding downward dog and cobra pose but he’s still working on his warrior 1, 2, and 3
Our Funding & Relationship with McDonald’s
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area is a local and autonomous 501(c)3 charitable organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, established in Utah with the help of the Kroc Family and McDonald’s.
We rely on the charitable support of our local community to generously provide approximately 75% of our annual income through private financial donations.
We are also proud to call McDonald’s our mission partner. We have licensing agreements with Ronald McDonald House Charities Global and the McDonald’s Corporation to operate under their trademarked programs. Local RMHC’s around the world are required to meet a high standard of program excellence and fiscal accountability.
RMHC Global provides training support, oversight of the global charity, and assistance securing in-kind gifts and services from vendors (including Kohler, Lazy-Boy, Bissell, Coca-Cola, Corian, Brand Source, DirecTV, Benjamin Moore, and more).
The entire McDonald’s family, including amazing local Intermountain Area McDonald’s owners and operators, generously support RMHC by sponsoring fundraising partnerships in their restaurants every day (“Fries for Families,” in-store promotions, collection canisters, and “Round-Up”). They also sponsor special events (our Gala, Golf Classic, and more), and make personal financial and volunteer contributions.
Support from our McDonald’s family—together with voluntary guest contributions—comprise approximately 25% of our budget.
Pediatric patient guest families are invited to make minimal contributions toward the cost of their stay as they are able. No family is ever turned away for the inability to pay.
We appreciate each and every one of our strong partners, donors, and volunteers. You make our work possible. Thanks to you, the Ronald McDonald House provides a house of love to families who need it most.
Pure Gratitude
A big thank you to:
