The Milwaukee Ronald McDonald House® Story…
In the early 1980s, a small group of dedicated volunteers set out to build the first Ronald McDonald House in Wisconsin. The need back then was heart-wrenching. Families literally had no place to stay while their seriously ill child was being treated at Children’s Hospital or another Milwaukee hospital. The outpouring of support was remarkable. So much so that when we opened in Wauwatosa in 1984, we called it “the House that love built.” Today we serve families in ways we could have never imagined 24 years ago.
During our early years, it was typical for guest families to spend a few nights, perhaps a week with us. Our 25 bedrooms proved sufficient for awhile. Then, over time, medical advances, the kind that save the lives of children who would not have been saved two decades ago, began requiring extended treatments. Yet doctors and nurses told us their young patients showed the best signs of healing when they could spend time away from hospital rooms in a more homelike setting surrounded by family. To accommodate these families, we expanded the House, adding an extended stay wing with thirteen 2-room units. We also renovated the existing House so that every family staying with us could have a private bathroom, a small amenity it may seem, but one that means a great deal to our guest families. These renovations have continued to make our House the best “home away from home” it can be.
One Milwaukee - United Way of Greater Milwaukee
For years, Milwaukee has struggled with the problem of teen pregnancy. A recent study found that the city has the 7th hightest rate of births to teens in the country. As recently as 2002, the percentage of Milwaukee births to teens was found to be higher than all but one other of the 50 largest U.S. cities.
In response to this shocking statistic, United Way of Greater Milwaukee commissioned an in-depth study to look at the problem and help detemine why it is so pervasive, what was working to reduce the rate of births to teens in other cities and determine what Milwaukee could do differently and more effectively in the future.
United Way alone invests almost $1 million dollars a year in programs related to teen pregnancy and over $5 million in youth development programs.
 Milwaukee Rescue Mission830 N. 19th St., Milwaukee, WI 53233
(414) 344-2211
Milwaukee has a high quality of life. Unlike people in most major cities, Milwaukeeans do not witness the tragic sight of homelessness - human beings sleeping on steam grates, in doorways or in public buildings. We are part of a community that knows a city is only as great as the way it cares for its poor. Dedicated to the principles of Christian charity and faith, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission is a Christian faith-based organization that has been part of that tradition of caring for more than a century. The Mission has given help and hope to Milwaukee's least, last and lost without taxpayer support of any kind since 1893. It is funded solely by the generosity of those people who have made Milwaukee a great city. The Milwaukee Rescue Mission is part of Milwaukee's high quality of life...and part of our tradition of caring.
Caring for Milwaukee's homeless and poor since 1893, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission serves as Wisconsin's largest homeless shleter. They are a member of Milwaukee's Emergency Shelter Task Force (city agencies providing cooperative assistance for Milwaukee's homeless). The Rescue Mission receives no government funding and operates an annual budget of approximately $6 million.
To find out more or to donate to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission click here.
 Better Business Bureau
Nominate an exceptional Wisconsin company for the
BBB Torch Award for Business Ethics and Integrity!
The BBB Torch Award recognizes businesses that display outstanding ethics
in dealings with customers, employees, vendors and the community.
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