Families with a child at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi can step away from the bedside and find a hot meal, a shower or a quiet place to rest, all free of charge, at the Ronald McDonald House Family Room on the hospital's third floor. Keeping those shelves stocked takes community help.

The Lehi Free Press is hosting a donation drive through Thursday, Oct. 1, collecting new items for the Family Room at the Miller Family Campus, 2250 North Miller Campus Drive. Residents across Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills and Lehi can drop off donations at the newspaper's office at 29 N. 100 W. in Lehi, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

This is the second year the Lehi Free Press has organized a drive for the same facility. Last fall, the newspaper ran a similar collection through Oct. 31, 2025.

What's needed

Ronald McDonald House Mountain West identified these items as most needed:

  • New toys, games, crafts or stuffed animals
  • Disposable forks and spoons
  • Large paper plates and bowls
  • Individually packaged snacks (cookies, chips)
  • New blankets
  • Travel-size toothpaste, deodorant and lotion
  • Hair ties, nail clippers and hairbrushes
  • Menstrual products

All items must be new and unopened. Food must be commercially packaged and unexpired.

Families, school groups, churches and businesses can each take on one category or assemble a larger donation from the list.

About the Family Room

The 3,200-square-foot space opened in 2024 and includes a kitchen, living room, laundry facilities, showers and four overnight guest rooms. Unlike the Ronald McDonald House residential facility in Salt Lake City, the Family Room sits inside the hospital, keeping caregivers steps from their child's medical unit.

"The families are incredibly grateful for a quiet and supportive place to go without leaving the hospital," guest services coordinator Zoey said in October 2025 during the Lehi Free Press's first donation drive for the facility.

The Family Room is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Napping rooms are available between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. with no referral needed; overnight rooms are scheduled by unit social workers. Families must obtain a security badge at the hospital's security desk before accessing the space. Donna Angel manages the Family Room and Ashley Parks handles community engagement. Both can be reached at 385-531-3200.

Growing demand

Primary Children's Miller Family Campus has seen heavy use since opening in 2024, recording 39,872 emergency department visits and 145,099 clinic visits in its first two years, according to Intermountain Health. The hospital recently added eight medical-surgical beds and plans to open six new NICU rooms later in 2026, increasing inpatient capacity by about 20 percent.

Across the Intermountain Area, RMHC reported 116,609 Family Room visits and 27,585 overnight stays in 2024, representing an estimated $9.2 million in savings for families who avoided hotel and travel costs.

Other ways to help

Volunteers can also support the Family Room through the "Together at the Table" meal program. Groups of up to eight people plan, purchase and prepare food for about 30 people at the Lehi location. All food must be store-bought, catered or prepared in the on-site kitchen.

Drop-off details: 29 N. 100 W., Lehi. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 1.

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