‘Tis the season for making merry but also for taking stock of all the good things in our lives. I am reminded of how fortunate I am that, among other things, we have a roof over our heads and, other than the typical crud, healthy kids. It’s this time of year that I also especially ache for the families whose children are in the care of hospitals and medical facilities instead of at home. Ronald McDonald House Charities “provide safe temporary living accommodations for critically ill children and their families while receiving medical treatment.”
San Antonio is home to two Ronald McDonald houses serving families who have to travel to SAT to receive medical care for their kids. Keeping families close without the burden of extra housing costs is a huge gift to families with medically fragile children, especially at this time of year.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities rely on help from the communities around the houses to keep them up and running, including volunteering in the houses for dinner service, cookie patrol, and quilt-making, plus traditional fundraising through in-person (the change collected from generous customer donations at McDonald’s restaurants) and online donations, product sales, events, and quite possibly the easiest the in-store Round Up campaign, which allows you to round up your total to the next whole dollar. No extra transaction needed, no worrying about if you have cash or pocket change for the collection containers, no math to do—just say “yes!” when the cashier asks if you’d like to “round up.”
After a visit to the McDonald’s at 281 and Evans to see just how easy it was to Round Up and try it for ourselves, we can’t recommend this kind of fundraising enough! No more feeling guilty that you don’t carry cash, no more fishing for change—just a simple “yes.” All of the San Antonio area McDonald’s locations participate in fundraising for RMHC (each franchise owner has to opt-in), so it will be super easy to find a location where you can Round Up.
If your local store has a kiosk, you can now Round Up at the kiosk when placing your order! McDonald’s developed Round Up for RMHC technology to serve as an additional donation option for customers as part of its continued commitment to innovation and technology. The technology and the added convenience it provides customers looking to donate to RMHC has been well used, with $2.2 million being raised through Round-Up for RMHC.
We are grateful for the gift of home and are happy to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities and hope you will, too. Be sure to Round Up the next time you grab breakfast, lunch or that afternoon pick-me-up at McDonald’s!
