RMHC Grants Make a Measurable Impact on the Quality of Life for Families and at Risk Children

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - Jan 29, 2013) - The global office of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) recently invested more than $3 million in the programs of other nonprofit organizations that focus on addressing the most urgent needs to improve the quality of life for families and the health of their children through the charity's Global Grants program. This program enables the nonprofit to direct funds to families and children in communities around the world where it is needed most. RMHC has awarded over $93 million in grants in the last ten years.

The Charity is honored to invest in and work with the following organizations and projects selected in 2012:

• Andean Health and Development (AHD) received $950,000 to train physician teachers using 21^st century technology to improve the quality of children's lives who have limited access to critical health care services in Ecuador.
• Project C.U.R.E. received $157,300 to support a three-year program to add a neonatal trainer to C.U.R.E. Clinics teams traveling to Belize, Mexico, Peru, Ghana, Tanzania, India and Papua New Guinea, which will help address the issues of birth asphyxia and reduce infant mortality rates.
• Carolina for Kibera received $269,063 to help decrease child mortality in the Kibera mega slum of Kenya by creating a sustainable, locally-managed system of 100-trained community health promoters serving households with basic care and health education.
• Georgetown University Medical Center received $164,050 to support the expansion of its Remote Village project, previously funded by RMHC in 2010. The project aims to promote community development, health and sanitation in rural communities in Honduras.
• ORBIS International received $900,000 to ensure quality pediatric eye care services in South Asia through the establishment of a network of pediatric eye centers in India and Bangladesh.
• The Carter Center received $200,000 for its Mental Health Program in Liberia, supporting the training of mental health care providers and the building of supportive community environments that will benefit individuals suffering from mental illnesses and their families.
• The Hunger Project (THP) received $300,000 to support its health and nutrition program in eight countries in Africa to improve access to childhood vaccines, prenatal care, antenatal care and antimalarial bed nets.
• Wyman received $150,000 to fund the expansion of the Wyman's Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®), previously funded by RMHC in 2011. The program will continue to select and train certified partners in the USA that will provide crucial support and opportunities that enable adolescents to avoid risky behaviors while building life skills and a sense of purpose.

Through its Global Grants program, RMHC funds projects that include a "train-the-trainer" approach and demonstrate quantifiable and sustainable outcomes as they address some of the most critical issues related to the needs of families and their children's health. Over the next three years, funds to these eight organizations, in addition to three others who received grant funding in July of 2012, will extend access to high-quality pediatric care for more than 3 million children in Africa, Asia, India, Latin America and the USA.

"Over 7 million children will die this year before reaching their fifth birthday -- most are from developing countries and their deaths are largely preventable," said Mary Ellen McNish, president and CEO, The Hunger Project (THP). "We are grateful for the support that we have received from RMHC. Thanks to this support, we anticipate that in 2013 alone, 80,000 children will receive health monitoring in rural health clinics; 45,000 children will be vaccinated; 15,000 women will receive prenatal services; and 8,000 anti-malarial bed nets will be distributed. In addition, we will train 6,000 new local volunteer leaders to bring essential, relevant, lifesaving health information to their fellow villagers."

"RMHC renewed support is critical to the impact we will have on the Ecuadorian health landscape," said David Gaus, M.D., MPH & TM, founding executive director, AHD. "In a three-year program, we will train between 60 and 80 physicians who will continue to work in their public rural health centers in the years to come. This translates into high quality, direct consultations for more than 240,000 children annually by residency-trained physicians."

In 2012, RMHC invested nearly $4 million in other nonprofit organizations. The Charity looks forward to increase access to care by partnering and aligning its efforts with other innovative projects in 2013. This year's cycle to submit grant proposals will be open in the summer. For more information, visit the Charity's Global Grants page at: http://rmhc.org/what-we-do/grants/.

In addition to its Global Grants and matching grants program to local U.S. RMHC Chapters, the Charity's family-centered programs: the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, also enable access to quality care for more than 4.5 children every year around the globe. "For more than 38 years, we have been working with families, the medical community and fellow not-for-profits to be a part of the solution in eliminating health disparities for children," said Alan A. Harris, M.D., professor of medicine, hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Disease, Rush University Medical Center and RMHC Board of Trustees member. "We accomplish this by nurturing and providing stability and vital resources to families, at the right time in the right setting, so they can focus on getting and keeping their children healthy and happy."

About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities^® (RMHC^®), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 57 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-operated and supported programs provide a bridge to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org, follow us on Twitter (@RMHC) or like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).

The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates: Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.