Our History

It all began in 1973, when Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill and his wife, Fran, learned that their daughter, Kim, had leukemia.

While traveling into Philadelphia for treatment at the children's hospital, they met other families in the same situation. These families drove hours to the hospital to be with their children, only to sleep overnight in waiting room chairs and to eat from vending machines because they had nowhere else to go.

Fred Hill and his football team decided to do something for these families...build them a "home-away-from-home" in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles teamed up with local McDonald's Owner/Operators to raise money to purchase and restore a house near the hospital where these families could stay. Hence, the first Ronald McDonald House was born. Since that time, more than 300 Houses have been built worldwide.

Our Story

Ronald McDonald House Charities of El Paso opened its doors to the community in March 1984, through the tremendous efforts and support of McDonald’s, The Junior League of El Paso, Southwest Airlines and Wells Fargo Bank (formerly State National Bank). RMHC of El Paso was launched in this community to help address the growing need for families to have a place to stay while their children were receiving treatment in local medical facilities. To date, RMHC of El Paso has served more than 33,000 children and their families through our signature outreach programs.

Timeline

• On March 1, 1984, the first Ronald McDonald House of El Paso opened its doors at 1017 Montana. The house had 6 bedrooms.
• On June 14, 2002, the charity expands its vision and reach by building a larger House with 10 bedrooms located at 300 E. California.
• In the fall of 2007, RMHC El Paso inaugurates its first Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. Through a partnership with Texas Tech the Care Mobile served the community for almost 4 years. The Care Mobile offered quality medical services free of charge to children who might not otherwise have access to healthcare.
• In 2008, RMHC of El Paso opened a Ronald McDonald Family Room inside The Hospitals of Providence Children’s Hospital. In August 2016, RMHC opened another Family Room at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruses. The room provides a place for respite and relaxation to family members and patients in the Pediatric, PICU and NICU areas of the hospital.
• In 2019, RMHC celebrates its 35th year anniversary by launching the ‘Give 3 Nights’ Campaign. A gift of $35 will help a family stay at the Ronald McDonald House for 3 nights. Please donate by texting GIVE to (915) 800-3138.

Our Region

Although we serve families from across the country and around the world, our primary areas of service include El Paso, Southern New Mexico, West Texas and Northern Mexico.

What We Do