Why We Serve – Keeping Families at the Center

Photo of Rishi Seth, Member of the RMHC Bay Area Board of Directors, with his family.

As a new member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area board of directors, Rishi Seth sees nothing but possibilities ahead for the organization.

“We want to get bigger, we want to expand, we want to support more families. The growth mindset the organization has is exciting to me,” said Rishi, who joined the RMHC Bay Area board in January 2021.

Rishi, a Bay Area transplant for nearly five years, first connected with RMHC Bay Area through his role as vice president of operations at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

Because only 1 in 20 hospitals are dedicated children’s hospitals, partners like Packard Children’s serve large geographies. That means Rishi is learning firsthand the struggles that families face when they must travel often, for long distances, through the Bay Area’s notorious traffic to access care for their children. “If we can provide even the simplest bit of home,” Rishi said, “whether that’s the consistency of food, the ability for kids to still go to school, and to have siblings involved… that’s something that really made me want to spend more time with the organization and ensure that we have the ability for RMHC Bay Area to be sustainable and available to our patients for many years going forward.”

“…all of the work is tied back to the needs of our families and our patients,” said Rishi, who explained that RMHC Bay Area’s goal to keep families with sick children together and near the medical care and resources they need resonates with him. The organization’s focus on keeping families at the center of every decision is what, Rishi says, motivates him and his board service.

Rishi wants to raise awareness of the critical work RMHC Bay Area does beyond providing housing to families during their children’s hospital stays. “Families aren’t coming to RMHC to get their hearts taken care of, but in some ways, they are,” said Rishi, who wants to shine a light on the broad impact of the organization’s holistic wraparound services, including the RMH School and psychosocial support services.

Rishi pointed to RMHC Bay Area’s focus on addressing food insecurity faced by families at the hospital, including its new Feed the Love program, as just one way the organization is pivoting to meet critical family needs. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the existing food insecurity in the region. Bay Area food banks say 1.5 million residents are either at risk of or already experiencing hunger, and that demand has doubled or even tripled among households with children. “…For us to be focusing on food insecurity shows that we’re actually in touch with what our families need,” Rishi said.

“Now that I have kids, I think they are inspirations,” said Rishi of his children, 6-year-old Suraj and 4-year-old Sonia. Rishi values balance in his life, prioritizing his family above all else. For him, RMHC Bay Area gives the young patients at Packard Children’s what they need most — their families. “You want to leave the world a better place for your own kids. Teaching them the importance of giving back and helping others is something I really want to instill in them, the way my parents did in me.”

About our Board of Directors

We have an incredible volunteer board of directors made up of individuals who take a personal interest in their community and those in it. Read more about who they are and why they choose to serve families with sick children.

Photo of Rishi Seth, Member of the RMHC Bay Area Board of Directors, with his family.

As a new member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Bay Area board of directors, Rishi Seth sees nothing but possibilities ahead for the organization.

“We want to get bigger, we want to expand, we want to support more families. The growth mindset the organization has is exciting to me,” said Rishi, who joined the RMHC Bay Area board in January 2021.

Rishi, a Bay Area transplant for nearly five years, first connected with RMHC Bay Area through his role as vice president of operations at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

Because only 1 in 20 hospitals are dedicated children’s hospitals, partners like Packard Children’s serve large geographies. That means Rishi is learning firsthand the struggles that families face when they must travel often, for long distances, through the Bay Area’s notorious traffic to access care for their children. “If we can provide even the simplest bit of home,” Rishi said, “whether that’s the consistency of food, the ability for kids to still go to school, and to have siblings involved… that’s something that really made me want to spend more time with the organization and ensure that we have the ability for RMHC Bay Area to be sustainable and available to our patients for many years going forward.”

“…all of the work is tied back to the needs of our families and our patients,” said Rishi, who explained that RMHC Bay Area’s goal to keep families with sick children together and near the medical care and resources they need resonates with him. The organization’s focus on keeping families at the center of every decision is what, Rishi says, motivates him and his board service.

Rishi wants to raise awareness of the critical work RMHC Bay Area does beyond providing housing to families during their children’s hospital stays. “Families aren’t coming to RMHC to get their hearts taken care of, but in some ways, they are,” said Rishi, who wants to shine a light on the broad impact of the organization’s holistic wraparound services, including the RMH School and psychosocial support services.

Rishi pointed to RMHC Bay Area’s focus on addressing food insecurity faced by families at the hospital, including its new Feed the Love program, as just one way the organization is pivoting to meet critical family needs. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the existing food insecurity in the region. Bay Area food banks say 1.5 million residents are either at risk of or already experiencing hunger, and that demand has doubled or even tripled among households with children. “…For us to be focusing on food insecurity shows that we’re actually in touch with what our families need,” Rishi said.

“Now that I have kids, I think they are inspirations,” said Rishi of his children, 6-year-old Suraj and 4-year-old Sonia. Rishi values balance in his life, prioritizing his family above all else. For him, RMHC Bay Area gives the young patients at Packard Children’s what they need most — their families. “You want to leave the world a better place for your own kids. Teaching them the importance of giving back and helping others is something I really want to instill in them, the way my parents did in me.”

About our Board of Directors

We have an incredible volunteer board of directors made up of individuals who take a personal interest in their community and those in it. Read more about who they are and why they choose to serve families with sick children.