Ronald McDonald house of charities kicks off third annual fundraiser to support families

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - In the three years since the Ronald McDonald Charities room opened its doors in a location close to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, more than 5,700 families have found comfort support and much needed help to continue to be there for their children staying in the hospital.

The room off 3200 Channing Way, Ste 106, in Idaho Falls is there to help create a family home environment to give parents and families of children who come to EIRMC, a place to feel comfort and rest after spending all day with their children, while still being with in feet of their child's room. The room is completely free to these families to drop by and use.

After visiting the emergency room with their sick child, Linda and Travis Linham say for them the room gave them a sense of relief.

"I'm very relieved. I was going to call him to bring me some food I hadn't eaten all morning. So just taking him to the emergency room when I was all I did, and so they just said, oh, actually, there's meals downstairs. I'll show you. And I was like, 'oh, okay. Call him.' Said, don't get me food. I guess there's meals here. You can come over, and and we'll be taken care of that way," Linda said.

Her husband Travis says as a father knowing this room could help his family helped his stress calm.

"I was super relieved and very grateful, actually," Travis said. "It's a really hard thing to walk into a hospital room and see your kid there and all hooked up to everything. And so as a father, you know, I had to organize some stuff to be able to get out of work. And so knowing that my family was being taken care of while I was trying to get things in place to be able to come and take care of them myself, is was a really big deal as well."

Lori Priest is the community engagement manager for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho. She says this fundraiser will allow them to continue to get the help they need.

"We have given him a gift or they've had a meal, maybe taken a shower or stayed in one of our rooms," Priest said. "So the impact is pretty large to be able to provide support to these families and offer them a home away from home."

She says the goal of this fundraiser is to not only help spread awareness of the availability of the room but help it stay open for the people who are in need of it.

She says if you have a desire to donate and help them help the families coming through the room you can do so here.