Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House: The House that Love Built, For Everyone

Gathered at the Riverside County Regional Medical Center, a Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House houseguest shared her family's story. "You can tell this house is built on love, and you can feel when people pray that they're heartfelt." Tiara Perez spoke those words with tears in her eyes Wednesday afternoon, July 29, following a regional reception at the medical center, where the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House thanked and recognized two large donors who have helped contribute to the House's future expansion. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and the McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California were two large donors recognized by the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House that day for their respective $5.6 million and $1.25 million donations to the House for its "Growing to Meet the Need" campaign, a philanthropic effort to raise $12 million total to expand the house by more than double its size. Riverside County Regional Medical Center's Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Cruikshank and Moreno Valley City Mayor Jesse Molina joined Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House Executive Director Mike Kovack and other House staff and families that day for the recognition. "This is not just the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. It's the Inland Empire Ronald McDonald House. It's your Ronald McDonald House," Kovack said. He briefly explained the series of events that led to the decision to expand the home, which supports over 24 families each night and has served over 18,000 families since opening in September 1996. For several years, the House has also operated its hotel program, which placed families in need in nearby hotel rooms when the rooms at the House were full. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians have subsidized that program for 12 years, said Kovack, but when operating costs rose over $200,000 each year to continue the hotel program, the House's Board of Directors had a difficult decision to make. "We realized that (the hotel program) was a band-aid on the problem, and we made the very difficult decision to cut the hotel program. That resulted in over 200 families being turned away in June. But, with that, we said we were going to expand. We were going to make this happen and we were going to raise the funds to do that," said Kovack. Perez, whose 4-week-old newborn son Ricarte Llanos was born July 9 at just 36 weeks gestation with an intestinal defect causing his intestines to be separated, spoke on behalf of her family's experience at the House. "This is such a blessing, to be able to be at the House," said Perez, who lives in Temecula. Strapped by financial hardships, Perez explained that her family had gone through a lot, but the Ronald McDonald House and its staff made her feel taken care of. "As a mother, I am the one that does everything for my household," she said, "but for me, I felt like this house was my mother. They embraced our family and they made us stronger." Perez was joined by Gloria Duran and her daughter, Esperanza, 6, who have also received support from the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. Duran echoed Perez's sentiments. "I walked in with the idea that it would be a hotel," Duran said of the House, "but it wasn't. It was a home. It was our second home. The staff was so welcoming and so easy to talk to. They kept us glued together and gave us a sense of normalcy." Esperanza was diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney cancer on July 14, 2014, her fifth birthday. She has been in remission since March this year. Kovack explained that the "Growing to Meet the Need" campaign is in its final stages of fundraising. The expansion will more than double the size of the house, from 13,000 square feet to 42,000 square feet and from 21 to 54 guest rooms. The expanded house will include a day salon where families can unwind, shower and eat, and a community room where they can meet with family members. The two large donations that were presented will allow the House to begin breaking ground on the project, which is expected to be completed next year. A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House, 11365 Anderson Street in Loma Linda.