A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.

By: Lance Traweek, Managing Editor September 9, 2022 0

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana is moving out of its yellow house on Canal Street after 40 years and expanding to a new residence on the campus of Children’s Hospital New Orleans.  

  Groundbreaking took place in July 2021. A grand opening is slated for Dec. 8. 

The new location at 210 State St. is currently being renovated at a cost of more than $6 million. The Mid-City building at 4403 Canal St. is for sale and has a potential buyer, which also is a nonprofit that has not been disclosed at this time.  

Grace McIntosh, executive director at RMHC-SLA, said the new location will positively impact children being treated there and their families. About 70% of the children RMHC-SLA serves receive care at Children’s Hospital facilities, and the addition of the house on the hospital grounds will allow families to be much closer to their care providers. It’s approximately a 15- to 20-minute drive from the hospital campus to the Mid-City location, and in order to stay in closer proximity, she said that families will often sleep in the lobby at the hospital, in the child’s room if they can or even in their vehicle.  

“For us, being able to literally be steps away, is everything for the families,” she said.

The larger house will also allow RMHC-SLA to increase available accommodations for families by 47%, with an additional seven family guest rooms. In the existing house, only five of the 15 guest rooms are big enough to board four or more guests. She said families must often decide whether to split up or find other accommodations without the programming and community found at RMHC-SLA.  

The new dining room will be able to hold up to 64 people and there will be a new outdoor barbecue area.  

There are only five private restrooms to serve up to 15 families in the current house. In the new house, each guest room will be outfitted with its own private bathroom.  

The number and size of community spaces will also grow to allow for more volunteer-led activities onsite, which is at the heart of RHMC-SLA programming, she said. Her hope is that families can cultivate friendships and draw strength from each other’s experience.  

The cost of the new home is being split between Children’s and RMHC-SLA. For its portion, RMHC-SLA has raised $1.8 million of the $3.5 million it needs to raise. The additional $500,000 is for furniture, fixtures and equipment. 

The two buildings being renovated total 17,500 square feet and are historic. McIntosh said there was a limited amount that could be done on the exterior, but they were able to essentially gut the building to fit their needs.

The architect is New Orleans-based EskewDumezRipple. DonahueFavret Contractors of Mandeville is handling construction.  

“We’ve done well here in our old Canal Street home but this is going to take us up to a new level of excellence that we have wanted for so long,” she said. “It’s truly exciting.”  

  McIntosh, a social worker, said the RMHC-SLA is much more than a hotel for families that provides food, shelter and laundry.  

“What makes us unique is that we also have that other aspect, which is caring for the families’ needs,” she said. Including McIntosh, RMHC-SLA currently has a staff of seven, as well as volunteers, who provide activities and support for families.  

“We don’t want them to have any stress, other than the stress that comes with dealing with their kid,” she said. “We can’t take that away, but we can certainly comfort them and provide them with as much as we possibly can and that’s a big difference than just being at a hotel. This is a historic move for us and a huge next chapter.”  

Tagged with: Children’s Hospital New Orleans Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Please fill out the information below so we can help you develop a strategic marketing plan.

Get your copy of CityBusiness on Friday. Plan next week with an early look at local business news. For subscription information, please call (877) 615-9536