The Montefiore Family Room is also a place for creativity, expression, and emotional healing. RMH-NY hosts Paint & Sip events that transform the room into a temporary art studio.

RMH-NY does more than provide a place to stay. It builds an environment where healing includes the whole family — where parents, siblings, and young patients find comfort, community, and care. That’s the essence of family-centered care: supporting the family unit as a whole so children can thrive.

"When we think about the future of healthcare...we see a trend by hospitals to really focus care on community-based resources...Fundamentally, Ronald McDonald House New York is that home away from home."                      

                             -Dr. Ruth Browne, President & CEO, RMH-NY

In healthcare today, more attention than ever is being paid to the social determinants of health (SDoH)—the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. These include where a family lives, what they eat, their economic situation, access to education and transportation, and the strength of their social support systems.

Brianna Cano, Catering Director at Rcano Events and Board of Associates member at RMH-NY, has made volunteerism an integral part of her professional and personal life. Her connection to Ronald McDonald Houses began early:

When Alina began her graduate thesis in architecture, she brought more than drafting pencils and design models to the table. She carried the weight of her own childhood — years defined by treatment for neuroblastoma, long stays at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital (MSK), and a second home at Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY).

When a child’s health is at stake, every decision feels monumental, every day carries uncertainty, and every moment away from home is fraught with emotional weight. For Neisha and her 11-month-old son, Azaire, this reality began on the serene Caribbean island of Grenada and unfolded across the bustling streets of New York City.

When Grace Johnson arrived at Ronald McDonald House New York one summer evening with her baby girl, Gracie Rose, it wasn’t just a visit. It was a moment that tied together months of phone calls, late-night worries, and a growing trust between two women on very different journeys.

At Ronald McDonald House New York, we witness how a diagnosis can completely alter a family's life overnight. For Christopher Jackson, this change arrived on an autumn day when school, soccer, and ordinary teenage plans were abruptly interrupted by an extraordinary test of endurance.

For Allysar, Drew, and their daughter Ayda, the reality of pediatric cancer arrived abruptly, bringing fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty into their home in Florida. As they navigated Ayda’s major surgical needs, and recovery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, one constant provided a rare and profound comfort: Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY)