After five years of planning and fundraising, Missoula’s Ronald McDonald House broke ground in the spring of 2005.

Five years can seem like a very long time, and it certainly has at times to all of the people who have worked so hard and donated so generously to make the new Ronald McDonald House of Missoula a reality. But with construction of the house slated to begin this spring, the predominant mood now is one of excitement and anticipation–and gratitude to all who have helped bring this project to fruition.
In early 2000, Ronald McDonald House Charities, based in Oakbrook, Illinois, gave its approval for the Missoula house after studying the need for such a facility in this area. It would be the 208th house worldwide and only the second in Montana. (The Ronald McDonald House in Billings has been in operation since 1982.) Approval from the global charity was based on Missoula’s evolution over the years into a major center for neonatal and pediatric care in western Montana. Each year more than two thousand babies and children are admitted to Missoula hospitals, with an average length of stay of 4.5 days. Many of these patients come from as far away as Libby to the north, Bozeman to the east and Salmon, Idaho, to the south. And many of them are in the hospital for much longer than four or five days; some extremely premature babies may remain hospitalized for up to four or five months, causing tremendous strain on families, both emotionally and economically.
This is where the house comes in. The mission of all Ronald McDonald Houses is to “provide a home away from home for families of critically ill and hospitalized children.” In recent years, that mission has expanded to include women with high risk pregnancies who need to be in close proximity to a hospital, in case an emergency need for delivery arises. But a Ronald House (as they are often affectionately called by those who work and stay in them) is more than a place to eat and sleep. It is a place where families can share with other families in similar circumstances their hopes and fears, their good days and bad days—where they can support each other in ways that other people cannot. Although most homes charge a nominal lodging fee, it is usually on a sliding fee scale, and no family is ever turned away because of inability to pay. Having a Ronald McDonald House in Missoula will help lessen the burden on hundreds of Western Montana families each year, families that are already trying to cope with the stress of having a sick child.
Once approval for the house was obtained, Community Medical Center donated the land upon which to build it. Which is within walking distance from the hospital. Then the work began. A committee of volunteers was formed to work with Oz Architects of Missoula to design the house. (So far, Oz has donated thousands of hours of professional time to this project.) Many of the committee members, as well as other volunteers, made site visits to other Ronald McDonald Homes to get ideas on what has worked well in other places, and what pitfalls to avoid. An operating council was formed and charged primarily with fundraising for the house. Owner/operators of McDonald’s restaurants around the entire state launched promotions to help raise the necessary money, accounting for over $200,000 to date. A few months ago, following a bidding process, Gordon Construction was chosen to build the house and groundbreaking occured April, 2005.
The 13,000-square-foot house will have eight family suites, each large enough to accommodate four to six family members and each with a private bathroom. In addition, there will be “common areas,” including a large kitchen where families can prepare meals, a dining room, a playroom, a living room, a library/computer room and laundry facilities. Space has also been allocated for staff support, volunteer activities (which most houses heavily depend on) and a conference room for group meetings and certain public functions.
The success of this project is a tribute to the generosity of Montanans—to the hundreds of individuals and businesses who have donated their time and money to see this house built. Perhaps, when you think about it, five years isn’t really that long a time to spend on something that will benefit countless Montana families for decades to come.