Ronald McDonald House Charities “Shines Bright” with New Solar Panels
March 7, 2023
In the spirit of giving, Freedom Solar has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas (RMHC CTX) by donating and installing solar panels to offset the organization’s out-of-pocket costs for a solar installation on the rooftop of its Austin facility. The donation will increase the organization’s sustainability and help make way for expanded services.
An organization close to home, RMHC CTX has served as a “home away from home” for several Freedom Solar Employees.
“The Ronald McDonald House is one of Austin’s most revered charitable institutions, and we are honored to partner with them on this important project because we strongly support their mission to support families with a hospitalized child,” said Freedom Solar CEO Bret Biggart. “The compassionate care and resources they provide are vital to the physical and emotional well-being of children and families served by Central Texas hospitals. Six of our own team members have personally benefited from Ronald McDonald House’s services.”
RMHC CTX provides families the stability and resources they need while their children are hospitalized so they can focus on helping their kids feel secure, optimistic, and get well. Located steps away from Dell Children’s Medical Center, the Ronald McDonald House has 30 guest rooms to house families with a hospitalized child and provides other comforts, such as home-cooked meals, laundry facilities, internet access and play areas for siblings.
In 2022, they served, on average, 85 families a month across their Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald House Family Room, and Healing Hearts programs. The organization’s mission was founded under the central objective that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on the health of their child. By covering everyday essentials, RMHC CTX allows families to focus solely upon their sick child. At RMHC CTX, familial support is considered the most powerful medicine, and they continuously strive to keep families close to their children day in and day out.
Having utilized their services in the past, the Freedom Solar team has experienced first-hand how wonderful the organization is. Freedom Solar sought to give back to the organization that served their colleagues throughout their scariest and most vulnerable moments.
Freedom Solar donated and installed 42 SunPower® solar panels on the building’s rooftop that have the capacity to produce 14 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy. The new solar installation was completed with zero out-of-pocket cost to RMHC CTX. The installation will allow RMHC CTX to extend their reach within the community and provide families with further necessities whilst they navigate the continuous fear and hardships that accompany having a sick family member.
“We are grateful to Freedom Solar for generously partnering with us on this project, which will improve our operational efficiency and, ultimately, enable us to serve more families who have a hospitalized child,” said RMHC CTX CEO Carolyn Schwarz. “Every dollar we can save on operational costs is a dollar we can put into providing a comfortable place to stay and other compassionate services that are critical to families struggling with the trauma of a sick child.”
In addition to RMHC CTX, Freedom Solar has partnered with other Austin nonprofit organizations to help them go solar, including the Dell Foundation, Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin, Riverbend Church, and Westminster, the city’s oldest and most established senior living community.
Freedom Solar is grateful to serve the community by partnering with organizations like Ronald McDonald House, and looks forward to helping more families by creating a sustainable environment through clean energy.
