Dear Friends & Supporters,
On behalf of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida Board of Directors, we are pleased to present our 2019 Annual Report virtually for your review.
This was an exciting and productive year for our organization. Our most significant outcomes in 2019 were the opening of a nine-bedroom expansion at the RMH on the campus of Nemours Children’s Hospital and adding one bedroom at the RMH on the campus of AdventHealth for Children. Both projects were made possible through a grant from AbbVie, Inc., awarded in 2018, and many generous supporters. These 10 additional bedrooms allow us to serve up to 84 families every night!
We are also proud to report that our Project 2020 initiative to renovate and refurbish our RMHs on the campuses of Arnold Palmer Medical Center and AdventHealth for Children went smoothly. This initiative strengthened our overall operations through greater efficiencies while addressing the evolving needs of our children and families, including improving housekeeping efforts, lowering operational costs, and minimizing exposure to allergens for our families. Project 2020 was made possible through a generous grant from Dr. Phillips Charities and many other friends and supporters.
As a part of the upgrades to all three RMHs, we collaborated with more than 60 local artists to bring the healing power of art into every bedroom of our Houses to comfort the thousands of families we serve each year. Each piece of art sends a message of hope and encouragement to our families.
As you review this year’s report, please note the list of generous individuals, corporations, and foundations that made our vision of expansion and Project 2020 a reality! Your support makes us stronger each year – providing more and more capacity for the increasing number of families with children in medical crisis coming to our community with hope in their hearts to heal their ill child.
With Gratitude,
Lou Ann DeVoogd
President & CEO
