PACE — Pace Rotary’s guest speaker this week was Summer Jimmerson, Ronald McDonald House’s development director.
The 26-bedroom Ronald McDonald House, located on Sacred Heart Hospital’s campus, provides lodging for families of premature babies and is available to families with critically ill children up to 21 years of age.
Home-cooked meals can be prepared in the kitchen, and laundry rooms are located on both house floors. All are provided at little to no cost so families can focus on their child’s health.
Though supported by donations from local franchisees, the houses are not operated or funded by McDonald's. Restaurant donations make up roughly 15 percent of their annual operating budget; the rest is secured through community fundraising.
Each year, RMH in Pensacola assists over 1,000 families. There is currently a double-digit waiting list for occupancy, but the staff works diligently with local hotels to provide nearby lodging at discounted rates when the house is full.
In addition to lodging, the children’s play spaces and adult quiet spaces are available for respite care to families who live nearby but may need a brief reprieve from the hospital.
Pace Rotary meets 7 a.m. Thursdays at Stonebrook Golf, 3200 Cobblestone Drive, in Pace.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Rotary members learn about Ronald McDonald House