On Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Caroline Roach, Community Engagment Manager for Charleston’s Ronald McDonald House, spoke to the Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook.
Her message was, “If there’s a sick child, there’s a sick family.”
When a child needs hospitalization, it can be a massive and costly disruption to the family, especially if the family lives a long distance away from the Charleston Area. The average length of stay at Ronald McDonald house is 24 nights, so the impact can be significant. There are families spending their savings to stay in hotels and residences or even sleeping in their cars so that their child can get the help they need. Ronald McDonald House was created to provide families with a safe, clean, and convenient living space at no charge while their child is in treatment.
Charleston’s Ronald McDonald House presently has 32 bedrooms for families needing a place to stay, which is not nearly enough to meet the need. 1,600 families are currently on the waiting list for the house. To better meet the need, the House is doubling its capacity, with a $34 million expansion project underway.
There are a lot of ways that people can help with this important effort, ranging from providing meals to guests (Meals That Heal), volunteering in the house, or working on special projects. For more information on how you can help, please visit their website, RMHCharleston.org.
The Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook is a group of neighbors committed to making a measurable difference in our community—especially across Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. To learn more, click here.
-Submitted by Thad Peterson for the Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook
(Image credit: Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook)