Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego celebrates opening of new Vertex Foundation Guest Services Office and Family Welcome Center

To support families with a hospitalized child, the Vertex Foundation funded a new Guest Services Office and Family Welcome Center at Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego as well as additional support for the organization’s meals and overnight stays. The newly named Vertex Foundation Guest Services Office provides a private and comfortable space to meet with staff when they check in at the House as well as support services throughout their stay. The additional meal and lodging program support will provide funding for more than 25,000 meals, served free of charge, as well as more than 300 nights of lodging for those families staying at the House.

“In the midst of this unprecedented time, the Vertex Foundation has helped us remain focused on our work to keep families close to their hospitalized child,” said Chuck Day, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. “We are grateful to receive their support to help enhance our accommodations and continue to allow our staff to create an emotional and physical sanctuary for families going through difficult times. By providing essential resources, like meals and lodging, we are able to help strengthen families and bolster their psychological well-being, allowing them to focus on what matters most – their child’s health.”

This is part of a larger donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Last year the Vertex Foundation announced a $1 million donation to RMHC to support the construction of a Ronald McDonald House at the new children’s hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

“I’ve been here in San Diego for the last two decades and this Ronald McDonald House holds a special place in my heart because Vertex families and our local community have seen the benefits from these amazing services,” said Sabine Hadida, vice president of medicinal chemistry and San Diego associate site head at Vertex and director of the Vertex Foundation.

The donation was celebrated by a virtual ribbon cutting and included speeches by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria; Kelly Dolan, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Global Organization; Sabine Hadida, Vertex vice president of medicinal chemistry, San Diego associate site head, and director of the Vertex Foundation; and Chuck Day, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.

The newly transformed Vertex Foundation Guest Services Office includes private meeting spaces, a play space for siblings of all ages, a place for a snack and a cup of tea, and a mini business center to help families stay connected to the hospital, to home and work. The Vertex Foundation Guest Services Office serves the very real needs of daily life for families staying at the House.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the House has continued to provide more than 250 takeaway meals daily to nourish weary moms, dads and siblings as they care for their critically ill or injured hospitalized child. In 2020, Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego served more than 85,000 freshly made, pre-packaged meals free of charge in pursuit of its mission to provide a “home away from home” to those caring for a hospitalized child.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego provides a wide range of services – including lodging, meals and emotional support – to families who have a critically ill or injured child being treated at a San Diego-area hospital.

To learn more, visit rmhcsd.org.

The Vertex Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation. It seeks to improve the lives of people with serious diseases and in its communities through education, innovation and health programs. Established in 2017, the Foundation is a long-term source of charitable giving and is part of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ corporate giving commitment. To learn more, visit rmhcsd.org.