Ronald McDonald House
25th Anniversary Message from Sally Vincent, Executive Director

For twenty-five years the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House has been a welcome home for more than 17,000 families from our local community and around the world.
The serious illness of a child places enormous stress on a family, especially when a family must leave their own community to seek specialized care for their child.

In order to provide a safe and affordable place for families to stay, McDonald’s restaurant owners, Bob and Bunny Jones, organized local business owners, physicians, and interested individuals and led a courageous effort to establish a Ronald McDonald House in Buffalo. The Ronald McDonald House of Buffalo opened its door to families on December 8, 1983 as the result of the energetic efforts and generous support from Bunny and Bob and the community.

The Buffalo Ronald McDonald House takes care of a family’s physical needs by providing a clean, comfortable, private bedroom with a telephone, van transportation to and from the hospital, a fully equipped kitchen provisioned with donated food, computers and Internet Access, a family room and children’s play room. The Ronald McDonald House offers much more than a comfortable place to stay, it provides an emotionally supportive atmosphere for families. Families receive support from caring staff and volunteers, and from other Ronald McDonald House parents who are going through similar experiences.

Part of a world-wide network of more than 250 Ronald McDonald Houses, we are known as The House That Love Built®. Like other Ronald McDonald Houses, the Buffalo house is owned and operated by a volunteer Board of Directors. And, like all other Ronald McDonald Houses, we are 100% supported by our local community. Volunteers are an important part of the life of the Ronald McDonald House, contributing thousands of hours of service each year towards the operation of the Buffalo house.

The Buffalo Ronald McDonald House can accommodate 15 families each night; families may stay for one night or as long as they require our services. Some nights the House is fully occupied. Families are asked to contribute only $15.00 per night per family. Contributions from donors fill the gap between what families are asked to pay and the actual day to day cost to operate the Ronald McDonald House.

Contributions of any amount are critical to the operation of the Buffalo Ronald McDonald House. A $5.00 contribution buys a jug of detergent for families to wash their clothes, a $50.00 contribution purchases a set of new, fluffy towels that adds to a family’s comfort.

We thank you for your generous contributions which have kept this wonderful House operating for 25 years; and, we ask for your continued, generous support so that future families can depend on the Ronald McDonald House of Buffalo.

Sally Vincent
Executive Director