The Partnership Between McDonald's and Ronald McDonald House

The Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is the formal community-organization partnership that McDonalds Company pursues with the aim of connecting with communities within their physical footprint. The partnership was established in 1974 to assist families to stay close by caring for the well-being of children and their families. RMHC provides a comfortable resting place for the families who have sick children. The RMHCs are located just steps away from the hospitals where the children are admitted. The RMHCs not only provide a staying place but also give them the resources they require such as home-cooked meals, private bedrooms and playrooms for the children.

            The partnership helps the families which travel from far to access medical care to save on costs that they would otherwise have been used to seek accommodation in hotels. When families stay together as they care for their sick children, it allows them to regroup and recharge empowering them to provide the best care to their patients. The RMHC also has a mobile clinic which travels to needy communities to provide them with healthcare in schools or at home. The partnership provides over 2.4 million overnight stays for families worldwide every year. To raise the funds for the partnership, a penny is contributed to support for every happy meal or mighty kids meals that are bought (McDonald's, 2018).

Goals and Objectives of the Partnership

            The primary goal of the RMHC partnership is to assist families to stay close as they care for their sick children. One of the ways that the partnership ensures that it meets this objective is by supporting programs that improve the well-being and health of the sick children together with their families such as providing for all their needs. The partnership also aims at being as close as possible to the ailing children and their families. The vision of the partnership is to create a world where children access medical care and ensure that their families receive relevant support so that they are involved actively in providing for their needs (McDonald's, 2018).  

The Partnership and the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Organization

Values

            One of the key values that McDonald's believes in is giving back to the community. The organization prides itself as a leader in the food industry and states that it is their responsibility to build better communities and dedicate some of their resources to improving the lives of people. One of the ways that the company has lived out this vision is through the RMHC as it allows them to improve the lives of the sick children and care for the needs of their families who are often constrained financially by medical care.

            Ethical business is also another core value of McDonald’s company. The company believes that sound ethics are a critical aspect of good business and they expect that they should maintain high standards of honesty, fairness, and integrity. One of the basic guidelines in the organization is that all individuals are accountable but the enterprise is collectively responsible. Corporate social responsibility such as the RMHC partnership is one of the ways that the organization proves its ethical conduct to the members of the community. The partnership allows the company to be responsible for the wellbeing of the sick children and their families.

Mission and Vision

            The mission of the McDonalds is to become the restaurant that is most preferred by their clients. The operations of the company are guided by a strategy known as ‘Plan to Win’ which focuses on providing an exceptional customer experience (McDonald's, 2018). The vision of the company is to enhance the experience of their customers.  The partnership that provides care to sick children and their families gets it a contribution from the customers who eat at the McDonalds restaurant. When customers understand that the money they pay is not only used to increase the profits of a company but also to improve the lives of sick children and their families, they become more willing to eat at this restaurant as opposed to others which do not care for the community. Therefore, the partnership furthers the mission of the organization.

Anecdotal Information

            The RMHC partnership is positively contributing to the well-being of sick children and their families in the communities where McDonald’s conduct their operations. When caring for sick children, primary caregivers often undergo huge medical and travel costs that may cause them to experience financial constraints. The RMHC partnership relives them some of the constraints by caring for their needs. The homes allow the families to relax which gives them an emotional rest and allows them to provide high-quality care to the children who also require emotional support. Moreover, families can stay together when caring for their sick children especially when they travel long distances to access care. Therefore, the RMHC partnership gives the sick children and their families a chance to experience a stay that feels like home.

References

McDonald's. (2018). Mission and Values. Retrieved from http://corporate.mcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company-old/mission_and_values.html

McDonald's. (2018). RMHC. Retrieved from https://www.rmhc.org/mission-and-vision

McDonald's. (2018). RMHC: Helping families stay close. Retrieved from https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/community/giving-back-with-Ronald-McDonald-house.html