About This Partnership

Who Ronald McDonald House South Central Ontario & Niagara Health

When September 2024

Project Ronald McDonald Family Room in Marotta Family Hospital

The Story

When your child is in the hospital, even the simplest tasks - grabbing a bite to eat, doing laundry, sitting down to think - can feel impossible. The hospital environment, full of beeping monitors and busy hallways, often leaves families feeling overwhelmed, disoriented, and alone. At Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario (RMHC SCO), we believe that families shouldn’t have to navigate this stress without support.

That’s why our partnership with Niagara Health in opening the Ronald McDonald Family Room inside the Marotta Family Hospital has been so transformative.

This non-clinical space, located on the pediatric floor of the hospital, offers families a place to breathe - to rest, eat, recharge, and simply feel human again.

The Tucker Family

Having a place where loved ones can grab a cup of coffee, have a warm meal or simply take a moment to breathe and recharge will offer a sense of normalcy and familiarity in what can often feel like an unfamiliar and overwhelming environment.
Natalie Doucet, Director, Women & Babies & Children’s Health, Niagara Health

The Family Room aims to transform the hospital experience for families, making it feel more like home. Families can now sit at a kitchen table and talk through care decisions - just like they would at home. They can grab a snack, have a cup of coffee, fold a load of laundry, and reclaim a sense of control in a moment that often feels like it’s spiraling.

“It gives you a piece of control back,” shares Eryn Hart, a parent who continues to rely on the Family Room. “It allows you to continue to have your dignity while you're focusing on much more important things - that you don't forget yourself.”

Since opening in September 2024, the Family Room at Marotta Family Hospital has seen about 3,000 visits each month - a clear sign of how critical this space is for families facing long days and nights on the pediatric floor. And, it’s not just the space that makes the difference - it’s the people behind it.

Our partnership with Niagara Health is seamless, extending beyond bricks and mortar to the very heart of the room: the volunteers and Niagara Health staff. The volunteers receive joint training from both Niagara Health & RMHC SCO - they serve as a bridge between hospital care and Ronald McDonald House comfort. They greet families with warmth, offer snacks, answer questions, and, above all, listen.

“We are two organizations coming together to support families, and you always want that to be seamless,” says Mario DeDivitiis, CEO of RMHC SCO. “Our partnership with Niagara Health has been simply beautiful. Our volunteers are a perfect example—trained by both organizations and united by a shared mission and values.”

The Family Room inside the Marotta Family Hospital was made possible by generous community donations. Thanks to donors like them - and like you - families in the hospital don’t have to face the hardest days of their lives alone.