When most people hear “McDonald” they immediately think of the restaurant chain that is supposedly increasing the obesity in America.

Although McDonald’s is the biggest contributor to RMH charities, RMH is a non-profit that relies on the support of volunteers and donations from people and other corporations.

What is the Ronald McDonald House? It is a home-away-from-home for families traveling distances to receive medical attention at local hospitals. There are RMHs across the country. Not only does RMH provide affordable lodging for families while their child is receiving medical attention, they provide food, activities and a community of support for families through hard times.

My family has been supported tremendously by multiple RMHs. My whole family stayed in the RMH of the Twin Cities in Minnesota for 4 months while my younger sister, Rachel, had a bone marrow transplant on March to June 1998 and again a year later for 4 months from May 1999 to August 1999. My brother was born in Minnesota while my sister was down the hall receiving other medical treatment. The first few months of his life were in an RHM. My mom, Rachel and other various family members traveled out to Minnesota every year since 2000 and stayed in an RMH about 75 percent of their trips.

When Rachel had to receive medical attention in Philadelphia in April of 2007 we had to stay in a hotel, but when we came back in August of 2007 for three nights, we stayed in an RMH again.

When Rachel died last March, my whole family stayed again in an RMH in Camden, New Jersey.

Each RMH is a little different, but they all have a food pantry in their kitchen that families can buy groceries and cook there or eat food that volunteers come in and prepare for them.

Most also have game rooms, TV lounges and a dining area so families can mingle to support each other. When you live there for months, you can meet a lot of people. They also have activities, crafts, movies or games most nights hosted by volunteers or local entertainment.

One of my fondest memories in the Twin Cities RMH was a movie night complete with popcorn and candy while they showed "Shark Boy and Lava Girl," which was a highly-anticipated movie at the time!

The houses have limited availability because of their limited sizes, but they try to accommodate as many people as possible by working with hotels in the area to get cheaper rates for families.

Because of the impact of RMH on my family, my grandparents have volunteered at our local RMH in Hershey pretty consistently since 2000. It is right next to the Hershey Medical Center, which has a children’s hospital, so they are always full. They volunteer every Tuesday and one Sunday a month, cooking meals, cleaning, making beds and sorting food. They also participate in events the house puts on and contribute meals on occasion. Because Rachel loved to volunteer, she used to help out too.

They are always looking for groups to come in and cook meals or clean because most houses usually have few paid employees. They are always looking for contributions of money, time and food.