Ronald McDonald House Charities-Upper Midwest (RMHC-UM) currently operates four locations in the Twin Cities and provides accommodations to 71 families every night.  In addition, they support hundreds of day visitors and provide meals and family-focused programming to families at no charge.  To read Schneids’ own personal story about RMHC-UM impacting his family, click here.

RMHC-UM supports families whose children face a variety of health challenges, including: premature birth, cancer, genetic disorders, trauma, cardiac issues, pediatric disabilities, etc.  It’s important to note they don’t just support “kids with cancer.”

All RMHC-UM locations feature bedrooms to sleep in, comfortable lounges, large kitchens, laundry facilities, food pantries, and more.  The four locations are:
o Ronald McDonald House – Oak Street: Their original house is now a multi-building structure that's home to 48 families/night.  RMH-Oak also features an on-site K-12 school to help out-patient children as well as their siblings stay on track with their studies during their stay with them.
o Ronald McDonald House, Children's Hospital, Minneapolis: Very busy facility located on the 3rd floor of the hospital; features 15 overnight rooms.
o Ronald McDonald Family Room inside Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul: Features 4 overnight rooms; serves the needs of the pediatric accident, trauma and disability community.
o Ronald McDonald Family Room inside Children's Hospital, St. Paul: Features 4 overnight rooms; serve east metro families (incl. western WI).

Of the 5,466 families RMHC-UM supported in 2025:
o 19% were from Minneapolis or St. Paul
o 42% were from the greater MSP metro area
o 22% were from outstate MN
o 13% were from other Upper Midwest states
o 3% were from other US states
o 1% were from other countries
— Important note: Approximately 85% of the families served by their three hospital-based sites last year were from the Twin Cities metro area.

There are several ways individuals and families can support RMHC-UM:
o VOLUNTEER: The Cooks for Kids meal program is one of the most important (and impactful) volunteer opportunities.  Many other individual and group volunteer opportunities are listed on their website, rmhtwincities

o DONATE: They gratefully accept donations of any size via the donation page on their website, at community events, etc.  "In-kind" donations of paper products, food, blankets, etc. are also welcome. An up-to- date Wish List can be found on their website.

o ATTEND: They have 5 Signature Events that are open to the public. Brew Love in March is ideal for the 21+ crowd, RBC Race for the Kids/RMH Family Walk in March is a family-friendly event perfect for all ages, and Skate with the Greats in the fall is a must-attend event for hockey fans.  In addition to their 5 Signature Events, hundreds of third party organizations (such as PIFT) raise funds on their behalf. Examples include golf tournaments, car shows, youth sports events, yard sales, and more.