Frequently Asked Questions - Ronald McDonald House® Greater Chattanooga

We are a local nonprofit that helps families stay together and close to the care they need when a child is sick or injured. Since 1990 we have provided lodging, meals and support at no cost to families.

The Ronald McDonald House is at 200 Central Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403, across the street from Children's Hospital at Erlanger. The Ronald McDonald House Family Room is on the third floor of Children's Hospital at Erlanger.

No. We are an independent local nonprofit with our own Board of Directors. McDonald's is our largest corporate donor, and local McDonald's owner/operators fund part of our annual operating costs and serve on our board. The rest of our support comes from individuals, businesses, foundations and community groups.

Families may be eligible if their child is between 0 and 21 years old, they live at least 15 miles from the hospital, and their child is receiving treatment at a qualifying medical facility.

Stays begin with a referral from your child's care team. A hospital social worker or medical professional submits the referral, we review it with the hospital, and our team contacts your family if a room is available.

A referral does not guarantee a room. When demand is high, priority goes to the most seriously ill children, including pediatric cancer patients, and to families who travel the farthest.

Nothing. Lodging, meals, laundry and everyday essentials are provided at no cost to families.

Our 28-bedroom House offers private bedrooms with full bathrooms, evening meals in the Great Kitchen, snacks and pantry items all day, laundry, a playroom, teen lounge, playground and private pumping rooms.

Tonya West, Sr. Director of House Operations, at (423) 719-0646 or [email protected].

A quiet place inside Children's Hospital at Erlanger where families can shower, do laundry, have a snack and rest without leaving the hospital. It is open to anyone with an immediate family member receiving care at Erlanger, Children's Hospital or Siskin Hospital. You only need a current hospital visitor badge.

Each weekday, volunteers bring a cart with coffee, snacks, books and small toys to families in the PICU, NICU, Labor and Delivery and the High-Risk Pregnancy Unit at Children's Hospital at Erlanger.

A program that helps families find resources in their own community before, during and after a child's medical care. It is based at the Cleveland City Schools Denning Center for Family and Community Resources and serves Cleveland and Bradley County. Contact Leslie Bustos at (423) 331-5074.

Volunteers welcome families, prepare or serve meals through Adopt-A-Meal, help in the Family Room and support special events. Visit our Volunteer page to register.

Give online through our secure donation portal, mail a gift to 200 Central Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403, or give monthly through Hope365. You can also donate wish list items, pop tabs or a vehicle.

Yes. Ronald McDonald House Greater Chattanooga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor about your individual situation.

Jennifer McAfee, Chief Advancement Officer, at (423) 719-0729 or [email protected].