Our Mission
The Pasadena Ronald McDonald House provides a community supported "home away from home" for families coming into Pasadena seeking advanced medical treatment for their critically or terminally ill children. Premature births, cancer and other critical illnesses can put unimaginable stress on a family. In addition, many people must travel great distances looking for treatments and answers not found near their home.
In addition to lodging, we also provide:
- A fully-stocked kitchen and pantry for preparing meals
- Volunteer groups to cook a Meal of Love dinner 10-15 times per month
- Volunteer groups to arrange special in-house activities
- Healing and fun pet visits through our Susan & Annie Dietrich Puppy Love Program
- Child care resources through the CCIS Families in Crisis program and the Pasadena Boys & Girls Club
- Clothing gift certificates for the Pasadena Salvation Army
- Educational services for patients and siblings through Pasadena Unified School District
- Supportive care for patients, siblings and parents through community resource groups and our Family Care Coordinator
- Religious connections through our Church and Temple program
- Video chat capability through Skype and iMac technology
- Occasional tickets from donors to plays, amusement parks, sporting events and other activities for the whole family
- Holiday celebrations complete with food and festivities
- Assistance with making connections through the Make A Wish Foundation, Mending Kids International, American Cancer Society, The Desi Geestman Foundation, Haven House, CCIS and the Union Station Foundation.
- Free weekday morning errand transportation to local stores, etc.
- Hospital transportation though our Happy Wheels program to City of Hope and LAC+USC Medical Center. (Coming soon!)
First in Pasadena
With each child that finds hope at one of our 19 medical centers, a parent or caregiver comes along to give them the comfort and support they need. The Pasadena Ronald McDonald House, across from Huntington Memorial Hospital, provides families a place of warmth and comfort.
Hospitals served:
- Alhambra Behavior Health Center
- Brain Mapping & Epilepsy Center
- California Hospital
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles
- City of Hope
- Doheny Eye Institute
- Glendale Adventist Medical Center
- Glendale Memorial Hospital
- Huntington Hospital
- Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital
- House Ear Institute
- Kaiser Sunset Medical Center
- LAC+USC Medical Center
- Methodist Hospital of Arcadia
- Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center
- Shriners Orthopeadic Hospital
- San Gabriel Valley Medical Center
- UCLA Medical Center
- Verdugo Hills Medical Center
Care and Support
The Pasadena Ronald McDonald House offers a positive environment for families seeking privacy and the supportive fellowship of others. Children are able to interact with other children facing challenging health conditions and participate in both organized and leisure play. Parents and caregivers find support in the kitchen during meal preparation or over a cup of coffee in the garden. Families are free to express their hopes and fears and share experiences with one another. This type of unmatched support helps to ease fears, provide perspective and can often lead to lasting friendships. Debbie Orfino, our Family Care Coordinator is available for patient, sibling and parent support care.