On a quiet evening, the Poon family goes about their routine inside the Ronald McDonald House beside Hong Kong Children’s Hospital. In the shared kitchen, a parent reheats dinner while another exchanges a nod with someone who understands exactly what they are going through. Upstairs, their child – who is undergoing long-term medical treatment – settles into bed. For families like the Poons, the House provides something essential: a place to stay that is close to the hospital, access to companionship with others in similar situations and day-to-day support that makes difficult periods a little more bearable. The Poon family’s experience later inspired an award-winning short film, Home Is Wherever We Are Together.
For the past 50 years, McDonald’s has leveraged its scale and relationships to help Ronald McDonald House expand into more than 60 countries and regions, including 34 Houses across Asia. Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Hong Kong – home to Asia’s first Ronald McDonald House since 1996 and a second House that opened in 2023 – has made a profound difference in the lives of families with children in critical care.
Together, the two Houses in Hong Kong have provided more than 164,000 nights of accommodation for families in need, including families like the Poons. As Ms Randy Lai, CEO of McDonald’s Hong Kong and RMHC Hong Kong board director, put it: “At the heart of McDonald’s is our bond with the community, and through our partnership with RMHC Hong Kong, we are proud to help provide a ‘home away from home’ where families can thrive together during challenging times.”
These Ronald McDonald Houses share a common purpose: providing a sanctuary where families can stay close to their ill or injured children during hospital treatments, and lightening the load so families can reserve the strength to be there for their children. In 2024, RMHC in Asia provided more than 129,000 free nights, supporting over 57,000 families.
The funding that keeps the Houses running comes from McDonald’s global corporate commitment, individual restaurant initiatives and round-up donations from customers making in-store purchases. Regular contributions from other corporate and private donors also help in this regard. In Hong Kong, McDonald’s campaigns such as The Big Mac Big Heart and Kidathons have raised more than HK$95 million (S$15.9 million) since 1996, with HK$14 million donated in 2024 alone.
SERVING COMMUNITIES ACROSS ASIA
Across Asia, McDonald’s restaurants are shaping community programmes that respond directly to local needs, from education and health to child development and family support. While each initiative is rooted in the realities of its own community, they share a common purpose: to improve everyday life in practical, sustainable ways.
“We focus on achieving our purpose of feeding and fostering communities by giving back through the right social programmes and initiatives. Our impact is about more than serving great food – it’s about helping our communities grow stronger, more inclusive and more resilient together,” said Mr Stijn Heytens, head of McDonald’s Asia Business Unit.
THE PHILIPPINES
Low literacy, declining student performance, overburdened teachers and a severe lack of resources are a growing concern in the Philippines. In response to these challenges, McDonald’s Philippines created the ReClassified programme to give a second life to decommissioned furniture from reimagined McDonald’s stores by turning them into classroom chairs and tables for public schools. By converting waste into classroom furniture through partnerships across its supply chain, the programme offers a practical, community-focused way to help schools create better learning environments for local students. Since 2023, more than 1,000 pieces of furniture have been repurposed, improving learning conditions for over 2,000 students in six cities nationwide.
As McDonald’s licensees Mr George Yang and Mr Kenneth Yang of Golden Arches Development Corporation share, the programme’s strength lies in its collaborative model: “ReClassified is more than a sustainability initiative – it’s a collective effort that brings together social enterprises, design students, non-profits and local governments to support our public schools.”
INDONESIA
Only 36 per cent of Indonesian children were enrolled in pre-primary programmes in 2023, far below the East and Southeast Asian regional average of 80 per cent. The impact is clear: A World Bank study shows that children who attend early childhood programmes score significantly higher in language, maths and noncognitive reasoning when they enter primary school, underscoring how early enrichment shapes long-term development.
Running since 1995, McKids has reached hundreds of thousands of children aged two to six across Indonesia. The McKids sessions offer structured play activities that encourage creativity, confidence and teamwork. These sessions are often held in or near restaurants – familiar spaces that families already frequent. Sessions run one to three times a week and teach early skills such as reading, writing, counting, drawing, singing and motor coordination through creative activities.
As Ms Carol Kurniadjaja, associate director of marketing at McDonald’s Indonesia, explained: “For many families, McKids has become a helpful introduction to early childhood learning – a place where children build confidence and experience the joy of learning before they enter kindergarten.”
“Families don’t just come for meals; they come because McDonald’s has become part of their children’s growth and early experiences,” she added. With its newly refreshed concept, McKids strengthens and builds a child’s learning journey.
THAILAND
Children around the world are becoming increasingly sedentary, with real implications for long-term health. The World Health Organization reports that more than 80 per cent of children aged 11 to 17 do not meet recommended daily physical activity levels, a pattern seen across regions and income levels.
It is against this backdrop that the McHappy Smile initiative in Thailand was created to get children moving, learning and interacting in a supportive environment. The programme brought children from nearby homes, shelters and schools into McDonald’s restaurants for a meal and an “edutainment” session led by volunteers, featuring the Ronald McDonald Show, which teaches basic health habits and simple exercise routines.
The initiative also partnered with the Department of Children and Youth to extend its reach and, starting in 2025, expanded through a collaboration with the Office of the Basic Education Commission to engage low-income schools across four regions. A new component, timed with McDonald’s Thailand’s 40th anniversary this year, includes donating basic sports equipment to promote daily physical activity. This offers a small but meaningful step in encouraging healthier routines in communities where opportunities to play, move and learn can be limited.
SINGAPORE
Youth mental health is a major concern in Singapore, where studies show that 27 per cent of young people report severe or extremely severe anxiety, while 14.9 per cent experience severe depressive symptoms and 12.9 per cent face severe stress. As Ms Linda Ming, director of brand communications and customer care at McDonald’s Singapore, said: “We know one in three young people in Singapore experience stress, anxiety or loneliness, but many struggle to open up.”
As a result, McDonald’s Singapore has stepped in with Lovin’ Me, a mental wellness campaign designed by students for students. The youth collaborators McDonald’s worked with highlighted two concerns: a stigma that prevents young people from speaking openly about their struggles, and a lack of simple, accessible ways to learn about mental wellness. The campaign meets youths where they already are, using familiar platforms and an authentic tone to help normalise conversations and remind them to seek support, Ms Ming added.
Lovin’ Me delivers approachable, youth-centric content, from music and short-form videos to a digital toolkit offering self-care guides and helplines. The impact has been significant. The mental wellness toolkit was accessed more than 17,000 times within its first 100 days. Overall, the campaign reached 1.5 million people across media and social platforms, amplifying a vital national conversation.
Looking ahead, Ms Ming emphasised that this is only the beginning. “Lovin’ Me is just the start of our commitment to support the next generation with empathy and action,” she said.
Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/brand-studio/partner-rely-5541596