Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas soon will have more rooms to help the families of children being treated in hospitals. The Little Rock nonprofit expects to open its $8.7 million, 35,000-SF facility in November. The five-story building will have 32 rooms, up from 28 at its current location, said Emily Piechocki, development director for Ronald McDonald House.

The older building has been sold to Arkansas Children’s Hospital of Little Rock, which is leasing to Ronald McDonald House the new property for $1 a year for 99 years, she said.

The date for construction on phase two of the project hasn’t been set, but when that’s complete, it will bring the total number of rooms to 66.

Ronald McDonald House offers its occupants dinner every night and other amenities. “We hope to take some of their stress away, so they can focus on what matters most, which is their sick child in the hospital,” Piechocki said.

The house usually has a waiting list, but most families can stay up to 45 days at a time. If they have to check out, they can return for as many rotations as needed. It serves about 900 families annually. It started as Parents & Friends of Children in 1979 and then became affiliated as a Ronald McDonald House in 1981, and has helped about 30,000 people since then, Piechocki said.

The nonprofit has 21 employees and a budget of $1.1 million. In 2017, its budget is expected to increase to $1.5 million. “We are the only Ronald McDonald House in the state, and the only facility of our kind in Little Rock,” said Piechocki. “So we have the real large undertaking of serving the great hospitals that we have here. The need is greater than what we can currently provide, which is part of the reason we need to expand.”