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Our Story

In 1977 a group of committed parents, medical staff and McDonald’s owner/operators met to begin planning for the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, the third house to be chartered nationally. Construction for the House began in 1978 on Fountain Avenue across the street from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The first Ronald McDonald House to be built from the ground up (previous Houses had been renovated homes), the 11,970 square foot, 16-room facility opened on September 14, 1980.

Fourteen years later, a new 27,780 square foot, 16-room and garage addition was dedicated on April 30, 1994. A unique feature of the LARMH, this is the long-term housing wing that was designed to meet the special needs of bone-marrow transplant patients. Treatment for these patients requires an extensive hospital stay, anywhere from two to eight months, and the apartment-style wing provides an atmosphere that feels more like home. Each apartment includes a bedroom, living room and kitchenette. Because transplant patients are highly susceptible to infections, the units also have individual ventilation and air conditioning systems.

On July 8th, 2008, LARMH opened up its most recent addition to the house. The new Helms Building, adjacent to the original building on Fountain Ave., consists of 40 additional rooms, a kitchen and dining area, game room, full service gym, computer room, washers and dryers, quiet parent only rooms and many other amenities.

Today, the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House continues to serve as a “Home Away from Home” for hundreds of families. Since its chartering, the House has served over 25,000 families from all states in the U.S. and 43 countries across the world.

The Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House ® is a program of Ronald McDonald House Charities ® of Southern California. For more information on RMHCSC, please visit www.rmhcsc.org.