New Ronald McDonald House Location at Boston Harbor

From Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern New England: Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC®) of Eastern New England today announces that, via its acquisition of Home Away Boston, an organization offering cost-free apartment-living for children and families receiving treatment at local hospitals, the Charity has opened the Ronald McDonald House at Boston Harbor. The Ronald McDonald House at Boston Harbor is the third Ronald McDonald House in this area. It joins existing Houses in Providence, RI and Boston (229 Kent Street, Brookline), to expand the number of families served in New England.

A long-time sponsor of Home Away Boston, RMHC of Eastern New England saw firsthand the housing needs for children and families who travel to Boston to receive vital medical treatments but do not have a place to stay. Since 2012, over 100 families have been helped by staying in Home Away Boston apartments; however, 110 families could not be helped at Home Away Boston due to lack of available space. RMHC of Eastern New England plans to double the number of apartments available to keep families close while they are receiving care in Boston.

“We are thrilled to continue our growth in the region with this announcement,” said Paula Wright, president of RMHC of Eastern New England and McDonald’s owner/operator. “We strive to meet the needs of children and families in our area – whether they are local to New England or visiting hospitals like the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (MGHfC). With the new Ronald McDonald House at Boston Harbor, we can deliver on our mission in more impactful ways every day.”

Many Home Away Boston residents have visited Boston for New England’s only proton beam radiotherapy facility at the MGHfC, where the oncology teams provide groundbreaking therapy for children with brain tumors, eye tumors and other malignancies. The proton radiation therapy is a daily outpatient regimen of six to eight weeks and draws patients from around the globe.

“We are extraordinarily excited about this news,” said Dr. Torunn Yock, president of Home Away Boston and Director of Pediatric Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern New England has been a major sponsor of Home Away Boston since 2013, and strengthening our alliance in this way will enable our housing program to expand and meet the ever-growing needs of the pediatric patient population who travel to Boston.”

The Ronald McDonald House at Boston Harbor officially opens under its new name today. Located in Charlestown’s historic Navy Yard, the House offers very close proximity to renowned hospitals, treatment centers and clinics. As Home Away Boston has, the Ronald McDonald House at Boston Harbor will continue to offer private, fully-furnished apartments to in-need children and families receiving critical medical treatments while expanding child/family programs to meet the needs of the families staying at the House.

Photo Courtesy of Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Eastern New England