Thursday the Ronald McDonald House of Siouxland had a grand opening for a new room and renovation.
Iowa Lt. Governor Adam Greg, RMHC of Siouxland Executive Director Christy Batien and other local officials cut the red ribbon to celebrate the expansion.
Batien says the expansion and renovation has added a new suite to accommodate another family and now families can do laundry and more on the first floor.
“You know it is really important because we have so many families that stay with us that aren’t able to do stairs. And a lot of our resources were about a ways from the stairs. And they had to go up and down the stairs. So this really helps us out.”
Batien says having everything on one floor helps everyone, especially those with long-time or even temporary disabilities.
“We have a lot of moms that stay with us that have post-partum issues, they have traumatic births, they had C-sections and stairs just aren’t a good idea for a while. So that having that extra room is really going to help us give them more comfortability while they are staying here at the house with us.”
Lt. Governor Gregg said he has friends whose families used a Ronald McDonald House when their children needed health care.
“They tell me it was just such an important place for them, to have some peace of mind, to step away from the hospital bed. Rest and rejuvenate as they try to keep their spirits up, and in turn the spirits of their children.”
The doors opened to the Ronald McDonald House on 2500 Nebraska Street on March 20, 1994, creating a place where any family is welcome regardless of income, distance traveled, or illness of child.
