Where Healing Feels Like Home: Ronald McDonald House Charities South Texas

(This article was written by Beth Marie Cantu Ensign and was featured in the June 2025 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)

In times of medical crisis, families depend on more than just expert care — they depend on each other. For families across South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) South Texas is making sure families with sick children don’t have to choose between accessing critical healthcare and staying near their loved ones.

RMHC South Texas serves a sprawling and diverse region—from Corpus Christi to Brownsville, Laredo to Victoria, and even across international borders. With such a vast footprint, the organization has tailored its programs to meet the unique needs of each community.

Helping to drive the mission forward is CEO of the South Texas chapter, housed in Corpus Christi, Michelle Horine, who has been a passionate advocate for families in crisis for more than a decade.

“I've been in the nonprofit business in the Corpus Christi area for over 20 years,” Horine shared. Originally drawn to the region for a journalism opportunity, her path led her through conservation work and tourism promotion before discovering her calling at RMHC. “I didn’t realize that the path for me was perfectly laid... you can feel and see the mission working. It's something that is just so real and authentic.”

For many families, these services are a lifeline. Some arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs, thrust into emergency situations, and many more do not have the financial capacity to afford housing to be close to their child. “It doesn't really matter what your financial situation is... when you have a sick child, you need to be close to your doctors... and a support system,” said Horine.

One such support system is the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. Designed for day use, this space provides a comforting environment just steps away from a child’s hospital room. “It gives them a place to cry if they don't wanna cry in front of their child, it gives them a place to rest... maybe take a Zoom call for work,” said Horine. “When you walk through our wooden door, you feel like you're at home.” In 2024 alone, the Harlingen Family Room had more than 5,500 visits.

RMHC steps in with more than just lodging and a safe space to help families process their situations — they provide food, clothing, mental health resources, and even therapeutic activities. “You wouldn't believe how many parents love to color,” Horine adds with a smile. “It's therapeutic. It takes their mind off the stresses.”

This care extends into holidays and milestones that don’t pause for illness. “We make sure that every holiday and every birthday is celebrated,” Horine emphasized.

Photo by Michelle Horine

Volunteers and donors play a vital role in making this work possible. From monthly pantry partners donating to keep the Family Rooms stocked with treats, to local schools running drives, the community has stepped up in creative and meaningful ways. Community help ensures rooms are readily stocked with toys, snacks, and necessities like socks and blankets. “If you need it at your house, we need it at ours.”

Horine made special mention of the “forever, founding mission partner” — McDonald’s local owner-operators — who continue to support RMHC’s mission at a grassroots level.

An exciting development is the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a 40-foot mobile healthcare unit based in Harlingen that will bring dental services directly to underserved communities in Cameron and Willacy counties. “It takes the medical to the child,” explained Horine. Once fully operational, it will provide dental sealants and refer children to additional services as needed. The demand for these services only continues to grow.

Plans are also underway to expand the Corpus Christi House from 25 to 45 rooms. “We don’t have enough rooms,” Horine admitted. “Our goal is to be able to provide rooms to every family who needs us and not have to sit on a waitlist.”

RMHC South Texas creates bonds that go beyond hospital walls. “We become family,” Horine reflected. “We know we made a difference when our families come back to a place that was probably very difficult to be at, but they come back with a whole sense of ‘how can we now help the families you're serving.’”

As RMHC South Texas continues to grow, their message remains the same: they are here, they care, and they are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. “I always say I hope you never need us. I really do. But if you do need us, we're here.”

Stay connected with RMHC South Texas through Instagram and Facebook.