As Philadelphia was Jen’s hometown, the Foundation supports the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House by offsetting the guest portion of a stay.  This year we have sponsored the guest portion of 60 nights at the Philadelphia House, thanks to your help.  The support offered by these facilities is critical to families dealing with serious childhood illness.  Seemingly simple things, like getting a meal, doing some laundry, getting a decent shower or a few hours sleep are of enormous benefit to those families, which we experienced firsthand at the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley during Jen’s illness.

We recently had the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia House.  We were given a tour by house manager Laisa Turano, who showed us how a former University City mansion was converted to this wonderful purpose.  Most of the mansion’s ornate woodwork is still in place, and family rooms and administrative offices fit seamlessly.  This article from phillyliving.com offers details on how the old house ultimately became the facility it is now.

The current house supports Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and also Wills Eye Hospital, and can hold up to 45 families.  According to Ms. Turano, the house runs at a 100% occupancy rate, and unfortunately must turn down 3 out of every 4 requests it receives.  They are in the midst of a major expansion project which will bring the number of rooms to over 120, allowing them to offer this vital support to more families in need.  You can learn more about the project here.

We are happy to be able to support families at both houses at such a crucial time of their lives, and in Jen’s name, but it is only possible with your support.  Thank you for all you do!