Our History

The first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia with the help of Dr. Audrey Evans, a pediatric oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

With the active support of the Greater Washington Advertising Cooperative of the McDonald’s Corporation, our cornerstone program, the Ronald McDonald House, was launched and incorporated as a non-profit, volunteer organization.

The original Ronald McDonald House® of Washington, DC opened its doors in June of 1980, and was the sixteenth RMH to open nationwide in the six years since the program began.

RMH merged with Ronald McDonald House Charities to become Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC (RMHCDC).

RMHCDC opened its second Ronald McDonald House in Northern Virginia.

A Capital Campaign was launched to raise funds to build a larger RMH located on 14th Street NE.

RMHCDC unveiled a brand new Ronald McDonald House of Washington, DC with 25 rooms, including 4 isolation suites for children with compromised immune systems. The new RMH was built “green” and certified as LEED Gold to benefit our families and the community for generations to come.

RMHCDC begins renovating both Ronald McDonald House programs to increase bedrooms at the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia from 8 guest rooms to 24 guest rooms, and the Ronald McDonald House of Washington, DC from 26 to 32 guest rooms.

Expansions and renovations at both Ronald McDonald House programs in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia were completed!  Twenty-two guest suites were added increasing our capacity, family-centered spaces, and allowing us to better serve 33% more families each year.

Home Genius Exteriors, their amazing team, and their generous partners Owens-Corning and ABC Supply Co. stepped up to donate a new roof rated for 50 years and worth over $100,000! This generosity not only provides a safe, secure home-away-from-home for our current families, but for thousands of families to come!