Ronald McDonald House Hamilton getting ready for the holidays

Ronald McDonald House Hamilton is preparing for the holiday season.

The house is one of 14 Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada that provide a home for families of children who are seriously ill and being treated at nearby hospitals. Today they worked on making it Christmas-ready.

The CEO of Ronald McDonald House Hamilton, Chantell Tunney says holidays are a really important time for them.

“It’s really important for us to be able to provide that home-away-from-home feel during the holidays with completing all the lights, the warm family feeling where they can’t necessarily be with their families so we try to create that for them.”

Local business Christmas Decor has been donating and decorating the exterior of the Hamilton house since 2008. Bill Dowd explains what makes them do it.

“We’ve been able to help families that are going through a very difficult time during the holiday season. Everyone enjoys having their home beautified or being the envy of the neighbourhood so having this home away from home for families during the holiday season and really having it look nice, hopefully will give them a smile during this difficult time they’re going through.”

Tunney says the program continues to grow and they currently serve 40 families during the holidays.