Our Experience at the Ronald McDonald House Chicago

We recently stayed for an overnight visit at the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola hospital in Illinois. Phoenix had a surgery scheduled for early the next morning at Shriner's Hospital for Children. Being a single Mom my options for places to stay were limited due to my budget.

Staying at the Ronald McDonald house is 100% free but you can donate $10 per night if you are able to. They greet you with a  welcome package to make you and your child feel at home. Phoenix got a few toys and even her own blanket. They gave us a tour and told us about all of the amenities they have. 

Not all Ronald McDonald houses are the same but this one had the main floor with a large kitchen, lots of shared living spaces for relaxing, and they had a playroom for younger kids. Phoenix is 4 so that was her favorite room there. The basement had a playroom for older kids with arcade games, video games, a pool table, etc. Each floor had a small kitchenette with a sink, microwave, refrigerator and Keurig. Each of the upper floors had a good-sized balcony for relaxing. They also had some outdoor space but not too much. A small outdoor play area and some tables. 

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We got our own room but shared a bathroom with the family in the room across from us. Two families share one bathroom. They do have rooms with bathrooms, but those I believe those are for people who have longer stays. I was worried about the shared bathroom thing, but honestly, it wasn’t an issue at all. Inside of our room, we did have a sink area for getting ready and brushing our teeth, etc. 

They have volunteers come in every day and cook all of the meals so the meals and food are provided for you. They even have food in their pantries for anyone to eat. They have pots, pans, stoves, ovens…basically anything you would need to cook your own meal if you want to. They even provide pantry and fridge space for you to store your own food.

I mean, you’re basically all set up! You really don’t have to worry about anything. You are just responsible for cleaning up after you and your family and that is pretty much it. They also have a shared laundry room on each floor, which was free. ​

It was a great experience and I highly recommend the Ronald McDonald House to anyone needing to find a place to stay. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message or comment down below. I hope this helps anyone who is getting ready to go through something like we did!