Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, located in Palo Alto, California, is an affiliate of the national Ronald McDonald House nonprofit organization, which offers care and treatment for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. With facilities to accommodate up to 47 families in private rooms, Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, which offers full-time and freelance, is dedicated to nurturing the entire family and offering them a "sense of normalcy." Since opening in 1979, Ronald McDonald House at Stanford has hosted nearly 375,000 families. Operating with a budget of more than $3.1 million, Ronald McDonald House at Stanford receives more than 85 percent of its funding from the community, private businesses, and foundations. More than 150 volunteers contribute 18,000 hours a year to Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, saving the organization some $300,000 a year.