By Anne DeVries
On June 18, 2025, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas (RMHC CTX) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a community event at the Ronald McDonald House, located at 1315 Barbara Jordan Boulevard. Families, volunteers, and supporters gathered for an evening filled with live music, BBQ, sweet treats, and art activities, marking the organization’s four decades of providing a “home-away-from-home” for families with hospitalized children.
Since its founding in 1985 with just eight rooms, RMHC CTX has grown to include 30 private guest rooms and served over 30,000 children. The organization’s mission is to ensure that families can stay close to their hospitalized children at no cost, offering Family Support Services that include guest suites, home-cooked meals, laundry facilities, Ronald McDonald House family rooms, Happy Wheels Cart visits, and transportation support.
Thomas Kim, RMHC CTX CEO, was on hand to meet attendees of the 40th-year celebration. Kim joined the organization 18 months ago, bringing with him a family legacy that taught him, “When God blesses you, you pass it forward.” With roots that stem from a military family, he is a decorated combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn. His extensive business experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors, combined with his years of service to our country, has him well prepared to tackle the growing demands of RMCH, CTX.
Fundraising is an ongoing challenge for the RMHC CTX to maintain its ability to serve the needs of families, but paramount to these demands is the need for volunteers. Kim shared, "With only 22 staff members across seven locations, we could not have provided 14,000 nights of accommodations for families and delivered over 23,000 meals in 2024 without the support of volunteers, donors, and corporate sponsors. But some meals go unfilled because we are short on volunteers”. He looks forward to the day they have “too many volunteers.” He believes someday, “they will get there”.
The current 30-room Ronald McDonald House, located on Barbara Jordan Boulevard next to Dell Children’s Medical Center, has a waiting list for families seeking private guest rooms. Kim and the RMHC CTX Staff are focused on devising plans to add rooms and alleviate the current waitlist. With an additional seven Family Rooms spread across hospitals in Austin and the Brazos Valley, they face daily challenges to utilize their current resources to meet the needs of families flocking to central Texas for state-of-the-art treatments.
In celebration of the anniversary, the community is invited to contribute to the “Give $40 to Celebrate Our 40th Birthday!” fundraising initiative. Donations can be made at www.rmhc-ctx.org/donate-40/. Individuals and groups can register to volunteer by visiting www.rmhc-ctx.org/get-involved/volunteer/.
The 40-year celebration was a testament to RMHC CTX’s enduring impact and the community’s role in its mission. As the organization looks to the future, it remains committed to ensuring every family facing a child’s medical crisis has a place to call home.
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"It's important to me that our family practices compassion and care for others. Volunteering at Ronald McDonald House brings us closer together and shows our kids the impact of serving others.” - Kara Dixon |
