The Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (ARMHC) is a place of hope and respite for families who are far from home with seriously ill, injured, or recovering children. Since the pandemic, the need for the ARMHC’s services has grown tremendously. 2022 was a record year for serving families and 2023’s needs have surpassed those. In 2022, ARMHC provided in its own facilities or at partner hotels roughly 17,000 nights of rest. By November 1 of this year, the charity had already provided 21,273 nights between its two campuses. The closest Ronald McDonald House to Historic Brookhaven is located at Peachtree Dunwoody Road and the Glenridge Connector; the second location is at Emory University on North Gatewood Road.

 

In addition to housing, ARMHC has a mobile unit that partners with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to provide primary care and vaccinations to children in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods through local schools. The unit began as an effort to reduce the number of pediatric asthma-related deaths in the state, but during COVID pivoted to include primary care services as well.

For the December holidays, ARMHC sets up Ronald’s Holiday Workshops where parents can obtain gifts for not only their children but mom and dad as well. Families are so focused on medical care, they rarely have time to Christmas shop. ARMHC turns its community rooms into holiday shops where volunteers help parents choose gifts and also wrap the presents. Each workshop has a shop manager who is also a volunteer. Gifts can be donated between November 27 and December 8.

 

To help fund its efforts, ARMHC has three big events: the annual golf tournament in May; gala in October; and Handbag Hullabaloo in May. It also hosts an annual tennis tournament. In the past, ARMHC has been the beneficiary of funds raised from the neighborhood’s Historic Candlelight Tour of Homes.

 SIDEBAR TO CHARITY FOCUS ARTICLE – HIGHLIGHT IN A SEPARATE BOX

Non-profit: Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (ARMHC)

 

Mission: ARMHC is a place of hope and respite for families that must travel for needed medical care for their children.

 

Contact: Sarah Parrish, volunteer manager, at sarah.parrish@armhc.com to volunteer. To donate, visit the ARMHC website at https://armhc.org/

How You Can Help: Donate items for or work in Ronald’s Holiday Workshop; volunteer for guest services at the Gatewood location at Emory; sign up to cook and serve dinner to families through the Meals that Heal program or to serve as a sous chef with the ARMHC chef; collect pop tabs and drop them at collection boxes; organize a collection for toiletry kits, snack packs, and other kits for families.

Local Neighborhood Involvement: Bob Ward (board member), Julie and Randy Salisbury, Bob and Kathy Morrison, Ann and David Culley, Ruth Skogstad, Kristin Sodemann, Liz Shults, Christy Roberts, Trisha Addicks (advisory council)