Ronald McDonald House launches capital campaign to double capacity for families in need

by Stephanie Adkisson

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Coastal Empire Ronald McDonald House officially launched its “More Rooms, More Families” capital campaign, an effort to fund a new facility that will more than double the charity’s current capacity for families with hospitalized children.

The new house will feature 32 rooms and more than 11,000 family night stays. It will remain near the Dwaine and Cynthia Willets Children’s Hospital.

Current facility falls short of demand

The organization’s current house has 13 bedrooms. Billy Sorochak, CEO of Coastal Empire Ronald McDonald House Charities, said the existing space cannot meet daily demand.

“On an average day, 20 to 26 families are waiting for a room,” Sorochak said. “Those are families with a child lying in the hospital who simply need to be together. And way too often, we have to tell them we don’t have a room.”

Campaign progress and how to give

The charity has reached 70% of its $12 million fundraising goal. Aaron Eubank, a local McDonald’s owner and operator, encouraged the public to round up their change at the register.

“100% of that goes right back here to the house, stays here locally,” Eubank said.

A Richmond Hill mother shares her experience

Haley Greenwood, a Richmond Hill resident who stayed at the Ronald McDonald House during her son’s hospitalization, said the proximity of the facility made a critical difference.

“Even in the middle of the night, when they call you at five o’clock in the morning, your son’s crashing — I was there in a matter of minutes,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood said she hopes the expansion will extend that support to more families.

“There was a lot more bad days than there were good days,” she said. “It’s a different type of family. They don’t go away. They’re here even after the catastrophes, even after the loss.”

She also spoke to the broader impact of public donations.

“You don’t really know what you’re giving back to,” Greenwood said. “It’s so much more than that.”