OUR MISSION
To provide a home-away-from-home to families of seriously ill children.
CORE PROGRAMS 2025
Learning that a child or loved one is seriously ill can turn a family’s world upside down in an instant. For parents and caregivers, what once felt certain can suddenly become overwhelming and uncertain.
As families focus on navigating complex medical care, many must also manage the challenges of distance. The best treatment for a child may require traveling far from home and being away from familiar routines, support systems, and everyday comforts. This time can also bring financial strain, from mounting medical expenses to missed work and the possibility of longterm care.
This is why Ronald McDonald House St. Louis exists. We provide families with a place of comfort, care, and community when they need it most.
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE®
• Ronald McDonald House St. Louis operates two Houses totaling 92 bedrooms, providing a home-away-from-home for families traveling to St. Louis for their child’s medical care.
• The Houses provide a necessary respite to families, including private bedrooms, home-cooked meals, comfortable living areas, activities for the whole family, a kitchen, and laundry facilities.
• Both Houses are open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.
RONALD McDONALD FAMILY ROOM®
• Ronald McDonald House St. Louis also operates four Family Rooms inside St. Louis Children’s Hospital, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, and Mercy Hospital.
• Family Rooms provide a place to rest and recharge while staying close to their child.
• Each Family Room includes a kitchenette, complimentary snacks and coffee, showers, laundry facilities, internet, and TV.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR AND CEO
When we talk about Ronald McDonald House, people often respond with a story. The details change; sometimes it’s a story about a young family member with cancer, a neighborhood child seriously injured, or even their own child during a hospital stay. But the story almost always turns to the caring support that is remembered from their time at Ronald McDonald House.
It is incredibly rewarding to steward such a beloved organization. Since 1981, Ronald McDonald House St. Louis has been supporting families, regardless of geography or income. Over that time, hundreds of staff and thousands of volunteers have poured an extraordinary level of hospitality and dignity into every interaction.
In 2025, a record 926 families stayed at one of our two local Houses, allowing them to remain close to their child. And 5,086 families, representing 61,999 individuals, visited our in-hospital Family Rooms for respite and essentials. We served 481 sit-down meals and 44,200 grab-and-go lunches. There’s no doubt that we do lodging and hospitality well, and there’s no doubt that 2025 was a standout year by almost any measure. The growth we experienced brought new scale and responsibility, setting us on a path to deepen how families experience our care.
But these numbers don’t tell the whole story. Our work helps reduce the strain families carry so they can focus on what matters most: their child. Each family we serve is on their own journey. Their stories move from fear, grief, and uncertainty toward hope and stability. You make that happen through your support of Ronald McDonald House St. Louis. Thank you for partnering with us to help families stay close.
With gratitude,
Chris Giarla R.J. Crunk Board Chair President/CEO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHRIS GIARLA
HEGGER
HEFFERNAN
ELHOFFER DIRECTORS
DANA BACICH
MAGGIE BAILEY
BRANDY BEAUPRE
BRAD BEIGLE NORA BLACK
JEREMY BRENNER
KYLE DARNELL
STEVE DELLA CAMERA
CULLY EISENBEIS
SCOTT KARCHUNAS
ANDY KRAMPER
CARRIE LEE
APRIL LOPINOT
DR. HOSSAIN MARANDI
BRAD MILLER
DR. PHINEAS OREN
ELLYN ROSENBLUM
STEVE RUESCHHOFF
BRIAN SATTERTHWAITE
DANNA STONE
DAVE TORNETTO
WITEK WROBLEWSKI
SUPPORTING FAMILIES WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST
Our doors first opened to the St. Louis community in 1981 with a simple but powerful purpose: to care for families of seriously ill children. Since then, thousands of families have found comfort, compassion, and a place to stay close to their child during some of life’s most difficult moments.
At Ronald McDonald House St. Louis, everything we do is centered on keeping families together, providing rest, support, and a sense of home when it matters most.
That care is made possible by a community that shows up in meaningful ways every day. Our Family Room and House volunteers provide comfort and support directly to families, while special event volunteers and ambassadors extend our reach by raising awareness, building connections, and helping sustain our mission.
Alongside our volunteers, the generosity of our donors and partners ensures families can focus on what matters most, their child.
Because of you, families never have to face their journey alone.
Thank you for being part of the care and support that surrounds them every day.
2025 FINANCIAL REPORT
Support and Revenue
$1,129,438
$4,849,444
$2,858,902
$98,455
$26,713
$230,135
$9,193,087*
Expenses
$16,812,873 $23,875,917 $8,702,260 $1,832,683 $1,173,936 $52,397,669
2025 VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHTS
24,791 HOURS VOLUNTEERED*
521+ MEALS PROVIDED BY GENEROUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS
$862,478
TOTAL VALUE OF VOLUNTEER HOURS WORKED
*Hours reflect House, Family Room, Committee, and Special Event volunteer hours, and do not include the numerous hours spent by our dedicated Meals from the Heart program or Service Group volunteers.
MEET THE WARREN FAMILY
Their family found comfort and healing at our Ronald McDonald House.
In September 2021, Amelia was getting ready to attend a hot air balloon race in her hometown of Clarksville, Arkansas. Amelia felt overwhelmingly tired.
Trusting her instincts, her mom Laura drove two hours to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Within days, doctors delivered devastating news: Amelia’s liver was failing due to autoimmune hepatitis.
As her condition worsened, a trusted friend encouraged Laura to seek a second opinion at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, a decision that would ultimately save Amelia’s life.
By September 2025, the family arrived to St. Louis and Amelia was admitted and placed on the transplant list. On October 7, the call came: a liver was available.
“It was overwhelming, relief, fear, and gratitude all at once,” Laura said.
Following transplant surgery, Amelia began the careful road to recovery. Because her immune system was fragile, staying in a safe environment close to the hospital was critical. That’s when the family found comfort at Ronald McDonald House St. Louis.
“The immunosuppressed wing was such a special gift." Laura said. "There were fewer people, fewer possibilities of germs, and she had a place where she could truly rest. I prepared meals for her and was just able to be her mom.”
Beyond the medical protection, the House offered something even greater: community.
“I met a family from Turkey and welcomed them to the team, to the family, because we knew exactly what they were going through,” Laura said. “It might not have been the same diagnosis, but everyone there, staff, volunteers, parents, understood. It was tough. And this was the place that helped us make it through.”
The support extends far beyond a place to sleep.
“All the little things the House offered added up,” she added. “Even when parents were scared or in shock, the kids felt okay. We had dignity, privacy, and protection.”
For families facing the unimaginable, healing required more than medicine. It required rest, protection, community, and the comfort of staying together.
“We came to St. Louis for strong medical advice and weren’t sure where we would stay,” Laura said. “We received more than we ever expected. Not just for Amelia’s recovery, but for our peace of mind. We had a home there, without fear.”
Because of Ronald McDonald House St. Louis, Amelia’s family never had to face this journey alone. Back at home, they can focus on what mattered most: watching their daughter grow stronger each day.
MEET OUR STAFF
R.J. CRUNK, PRESIDENT & CEO
CHERI WUERTZ, VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE
ERIC EILER, VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS
TIFFANY KILPER, VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT
JILL HOGAN VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
ALISON KASPAR, VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES
JUDY SCHULER, OPERATIONS CONSULTANT
PAT NEWBY, DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATION
JACOB MCGUIRE, DIRECTOR, FACILITIES
JANE FOERSTEL, DIRECTOR, HOUSE OPERATIONS
COURTNEY FISCHER, DIRECTOR, FAMILY ROOM PROGRAM
DARA MARKUS, DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT
ABBY MAUER, DIRECTOR, EVENTS
MATT BORCHARDT, CHEF
MICHELLE BURMANN, CONTROLLER
MCKENNA BUNJAN, VOLUNTEER MANAGER
SARAH IBA, FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
LAUREN ERICSON, FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
LATIFA LEWIS, HOUSE MANAGER
AMY CONARD, DATA MANAGER
GRETA VANDAMME, ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
ROSE STEINHART, ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
MARY KATE WIESE, ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
JILLIAN ZICCA, ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
MACKENZIE MILLER, ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICES MANAGER
CIERRA WEST, FAMILY ROOM PROGRAM COORDINATOR
PETE TOLPA, FAMILY ROOM PROGRAM COORDINATOR
RYAN PLEUS, FINANCE COORDINATOR
MIYA ANDREWS, MARKETING COORDINATOR
HOLLY AHAUS, DATA COORDINATOR
CHANDRA PIPER, HR COORDINATOR
MEG MURPHY, FAMILY CARE SPECIALIST
SHARON JOHNSON, FAMILY CARE SPECIALIST
BECKY JUMP, CHEF ASSISTANT
MILES BAUBLITE, KITCHEN PORTER
SUSAN PECK, FAMILY ROOM ASSOCIATE
PENNY DUTTON-GAMBLE, FAMILY ROOM ASSOCIATE
VICKI RUCKMAN, HOUSEKEEPER
DEIDREIA BOYD, HOUSEKEEPER
DARRELL JAMES, HOUSEKEEPER
KAYLA HALL, HOUSEKEEPER
MCDONALD'S GIVING PROGRAMS
2025 PARTNERSHIP WITH MCDONALD'S
McDonald’s is our founding and forever partner, with local owner/ operators supporting Ronald McDonald House St. Louis since 1981. Customers can contribute by rounding up their total at the counter, kiosk, drive-thru, or on the app; donating spare change in the in-store canisters; purchasing a Happy Meal; or participating in seasonal fundraising initiatives. These donations support our mission and expand our services so we can provide families with seriously ill children a welcoming home-away-from-home.
Total Donations from Customers
Round-Up for RMH Canister Program Penny for a Happy Meal Seasonal Fundraisers
TOTAL $3,289,202 $133,359 $49,551 $39,439 $3,511,551
178 NUMBER OF STORES IN OUR LOCAL MCDONALD'S CO-OP
6
OWNER/OPERATORS HAVE RAISED MORE THAN $1 MILLION THROUGH THE ROUND-UP FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE PROGRAM
OVERALL RUNNING TOTAL OF ROUND-UP FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE DONATIONS SINCE 2019
20
TOTAL NUMBER OF OWNER/ OPERATORS IN OUR LOCAL CO-OP
121
LOCAL MCDONALD'S STORES RAISED AN AVERAGE OF $1,000 OR MORE EVERY MONTH IN 2025
$15,175,292
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE ST. LOUIS
