Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
A new Ronald McDonald House is set to open for families in December. Move-in day is scheduled for Dec. 9 and 10.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, The Atlanta Voice was given a tour of the new 110-room, five-story facility at 2580 Briarcliff Rd. The new facility has 92 guest rooms, each 350 square feet, and 18 suites, 655 square feet. According to Todd Myrick, the information technology program manager for Ronald McDonald House Atlanta, the increased capacity will help serve more families.
For the families who check into Ronald McDonald House, there will be an app-based and tablet check-in process that was designed for a faster process. The facility is similar to a hotel in many ways, says Myrick.
“We have a quasi-hotel/hotel/dorm room set up here,” Myrick said. The dining room looks to be able to seat dozens of people and is reminiscent of what diners can find on a cruise ship, for example. It’s a large space, and the facility has a chef-driven menu that is updated every day. The dining room staff will include two executive chefs and two sous chefs.
There are three glassed-in reserve dining areas for families who need privacy as part of the Marcus Autism eating program.
The new Ronald McDonald House also has an arts and crafts room, a game room, a wellness activities room, and an indoor play area called the playscape. The five-story playscape has different designs on each of the floors. There is also an outdoor play area that has a covered rest area and a grilling area.
“We try to replicate the home environment for the families,” Myrick explained.
The facility is currently under construction and will have 55-60 staff members on site when it opens. Myrick said staffers are scheduled to move in mid-November. The 3,000-square-foot community room can be split into two rooms in order to serve multiple parties or groups for meetings.
There are also multiple meeting spaces on the ground level of the $90-million project.
Ronald McDonald House Atlanta has $2.5 million remaining of its $90 million goal. For information about how to donate, visit the Ronald McDonald House website.
Myrick said most of the donations come from everyday people and in sums as small as $5, $10, and $20.
When asked what he likes the most about the new Ronald McDonald House, Myrick said there are too many things to single out just one.
“For me, the operational advances make it easier for us to help the families,” Myrick said.
