Coronavirus In Pittsburgh: Ronald McDonald House No Longer Accepting New Families, Asking For Much-Needed Supplies
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Ronald McDonald House provides an affordable place to live for families from all over the world who are having their children treated at Children's Hospital.
But the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to stop accepting new families and curtail many valuable volunteer programs.
The house, which sits on 44th Street in Lawrenceville, is attached to UPMC Children's Hospital.
During normal times, they house 74 families. Even more in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Twenty-one families remain as many have left on their own.
"We want to make sure that we are providing for those 21 families in the safest, cleanest environment as possible," said Eleanor Reigel, executive director of the house. "So from a public health perspective, we have eliminated receiving new families."
Valuable volunteer and corporate groups that cooked meals for families are no longer allowed in the house.
But you can still step up and cater meals for them.
You can also go to their Amazon Wishlist and send much-needed supplies.
"We need paper products, paper plates, cleaning products, dish detergent, kleenexes, things like that," Reigel said.
If hospitals get slammed with patients, they may use the vacant rooms at the Ronald McDonald House to allow medical staff to get some rest and a quick shower.
