ORLANDO, Fla. – After being closed for nearly two months, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida will open its Orlando houses, once again providing parents with a place to stay as their children receive treatment at local hospitals.
The houses at AdventHealth for Children, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies and Nemours Children’s Hospital remained open in March, April, May and June with safety protocols in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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During that time, the charity stopped accepting new families but a small number of parents whose children were critically ill remained in the houses.
On July 3, the houses closed due to confirmed COVID-19 cases so the charity paid for the families to be relocated to hotels.
Now that cases are declining both locally and statewide, RMHCCF has plans to open its Orlando locations once again. The families who were moved to hotels will be among the first guests to arrive.
“Providing a safe environment for our guests families is our top priority,” RMHCCF president and CEO Lou Ann DeVoogd said in a news release. “Our houses look different than prior to COVID-19, however, with smiling eyes above our masks, we will welcome our guest families back in their time of need as they care for their children in the hospital.”
The organization is asking for donations to help offset the cost of housing families.
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