45 and Forward
Campaign Vision
For 45 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Iowa (RMHCCI) has provided a home-away-from-home for families of children receiving medical care in Central Iowa. To ensure RMHCCI continues caring for families and children for the next 45 years and beyond, RMHCCI is embarking on a capital campaign to enhance facilities and services. Children staying at RMHCCI - whether they are siblings of patients or undergoing care themselves - need a safe and inclusive place to play, decompress, and feel like kids. An expanded, more accessible outdoor playground will provide joy, normalcy, and connection during one of the most stressful moments in a family’s life. The creation of a dedicated shower room for day guests will offer comfort and dignity to families spending long hours away from home. A thoughtfully designed mural in the upstairs playroom will bring warmth, imagination, and a sense of healing to the space. These projects and more will help propel RMHCCI into the next 45 years.
The Heart of Play: Playground Expansion
Families staying at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Iowa face some of their most challenging days while caring for a hospitalized child. During long hours away from home routines, children - both patients and siblings - need safe, supportive places to play, decompress, and simply feel like kids. Our current playground is small, outdated, and limited in accessibility, preventing many children from fully participating in the healing power of play. To meet the physical, emotional, and developmental needs of the roughly 1,100 families we serve each year, RMHCCI is undertaking a critical playground replacement and expansion project. The new space will be fully accessible, inclusive, and designed for children of all ages and abilities. Featuring adaptive play structures, sensory-friendly elements, and hands-on, child-centered activities, the updated playground will encourage exploration, creativity, and shared play among children experiencing significant stress. By improving accessibility, enhancing safety, expanding therapeutic play options, and fostering social connection, the new playground will offer families moments of joy, relief, and normalcy at a time when they need them most
Leave a Legacy
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Iowa is seeking partners to help advance our mission by enhancing family-centered experiences, improving accessibility and comfort, and expanding the care and support we provide to families with children receiving medical treatment.
