Orange County Ronald McDonald House   

After recognizing the need to support the whole family when a child is seriously ill or injured, the first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia, PA, USA, in 1974 - creating a global charity. That was the beginning of our role as a unique charity dedicated to caring for families with children who are ill or injured. Our programs and services address the essential needs of families around the world - all along their child’s healthcare journey - so they can focus on the health and well-being of their child. In 1989, that same need came to light in Orange County when another father found himself trying to curl up on a chair, stretch out on a hard bench and grab a quick snooze in his truck during his son's three-year cancer treatment journey. Dr. Geni Bennetts at CHOC invited that father and a half dozen other parents of children with cancer to dinner, encouraging them to form the first board of trustees for RMHOC. Fast forward to November of that year, the doors of RMHOC opened on two lots across the street from the hospital. Now, RMHOC is one of eleven programs within the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California chapter, supporting the House and two Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs at CHOC in Orange and CHOC at Mission Hospital in South Orange County.