Photo: Reba (L) and her NGOCredit: Reba’s Ranch House / Instagram
In 1992, country music star Reba McEntire helped open Reba’s Ranch House in Denison, Texas, to give families a safe place to stay when a loved one was in hospital. More than three decades later, the charity reports it has welcomed over 35,000 families, offering rest, meals, emotional support and spiritual care at no cost. The idea began after her doctor, Darius Maggi, described how many visitors were sleeping in hospital chairs, waiting-room floors or their cars. The concept was similar to a Ronald McDonald House, but with one important difference. Reba’s Ranch House was designed to be open to anyone who needed accommodation while a loved one was in hospital, regardless of the patient’s age or condition.
89 per cent of guests report improvements in sleep, daily meals and anxiety after their stay, according to the organisation. The house is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round. More than 30 years after McEntire helped cut the ribbon, the charity remains true to its founding purpose: ensuring that no family has to face a hospital stay alone, hungry or without a safe place to rest.
Many guests arrive after days of poor sleep, missed meals and constant worry. Before staying at the house, families often report that they have been sleeping in waiting rooms, sitting in patient rooms overnight or even resting in their cars outside the hospital. Reba’s Ranch House provides a calm setting where caregivers can rest, eat and receive support. The charity describes its work as caring for the caregivers, helping people cope with the stress and uncertainty that come with a medical crisis. One of the charity’s most distinctive services is the Room for Hope, created by Girl Scout Maria Hayes for her Gold Award project. She recognised that patients and families dealing with cancer needed access to practical support without having to travel outside the community, as per their website.