2003	The 8th Designers 3D CAD Challenge

Boston Ronald McDonald House

Assembled With Care:

In 1979 the Boston Ronald McDonald House opened to give families whose children were receiving treatment for cancer at the Boston Children's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund Clinic a “home away from home.”  The Boston House was the 8th to open in what has now become a network of more than 215 Houses nationwide.

The impetus for the Boston House started with the Friends of the Jimmy Fund (a group of parents whose children were treated for cancer at these medical centers), as a way to make children being treated more comfortable.   This idea became a reality through donations by McDonald’s CorporationÒ, Ronald McDonald House CharitiesÒ of Eastern New England, local McDonald’s Owner/Operators, and hundreds of caring individuals and corporations.

The Boston House was originally a 135-year-old Victorian single-family house and was turned into a “Home away from home” that now accommodates 24 families.  The House now includes 9 bedroom units with shared baths, and a separate carriage house with 14 specially equipped bone marrow recovery apartments.

In 1985, the Boston House turned the six original apartments into Bone Marrow Transplant Recovery Apartments and was the first house in the country to offer these patients the isolation required for their recoveries.  In 1994 eight more apartments were added.  These apartments include private kitchens, bathrooms, and sleeping quarters for patients with lowered immune systems.

The House is an independent, community-supported, nonprofit organization that has only three paid staff members.  It depends on the goodwill of more than 100 volunteers who help provide assistance and emotional support to families living in the house.  Volunteer contributions include such activities as planting a vegetable garden, providing a home-cooked meal, and substituting for a staff member in order to enable them to take a holiday or vacation.

Families Served

· The House has supported thousands of families from every state in the U.S. and from over 25 countries.
· The House allows families to stay close to their children while they go through surgery, cancer treatments, or receive outpatient treatment.
· The Boston House strives to keep the cost of staying at a minimum, requesting a donation of $5 per day and no more than $100 per month.  Families who cannot afford to pay this fee are never turned away.

Financial Support

· Each year Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern New England® donates 12.5% of all funds raised locally to the House.  The majority of the money needed to run the House comes from donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
· The Boston House also receives much of its financial support through a number of annual local fundraisers.
· In 1994, $1 million was raised by the Boston House to build the last eight bone marrow apartments.

A Home Away From Home

· Husband and wife team Peggy Enright and Andy Richards have co-managed the House for 14 years.  Their dedication, along with a loyal volunteer base, adds a more personal touch to the House.
· A Board of Directors – made up of family members whose children or siblings received treatment, local McDonald’s Owner/Operators, and members of the medical and business community – supports the Boston House.
· Many former patients and guests volunteer services, give financial donations, and participate on the Board of Directors.

Ronald McDonald House Boston  --  http://www.ronaldmcdonaldhouseboston.com