The campaign goal for the new Ronald McDonald House sounds steep at 15.3 million dollars, but really, it's only possible at the hands of the community.
"We are completely run on donations and support from the community, 100%," said Mindy Plumlee, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Idaho, "we have been turning away families for a couple of years, and really the capacity we have is just needing to grow."
Goals were set, and construction began nearly a year ago, with the ultimate goal of providing more room for families.
"It was important for us to find the right space, walking distance from the children's hospital, it was important for us to own the land, so when everything came together we were able to move forward, and within a year we'll really triple our capacity," said Plumlee.
One business is making it $15,000 more feasible to reach their goals.
"We're always looking for a way to give back," said branch manager for Weed Man Lawn Care Services Austin Walters.
Weed Man Lawn Care Services chooses a location to donate to every year; this holiday season, they chose Boise's Ronald McDonald House Charities to support. Their donation is adding a healing garden to the property.
"I've seen a few renderings, and it looks like a great space, and we're certainly excited to be involved in such great cause and have an opportunity for families going through a really rough time to escape that a little bit," said Walters.
There's still plenty of work to do to get the healing garden in before the new house is set to be completed on February 1.
"Give them a chance to kind of step out of the hospital and away from just challenged and just be, right, just sit and relax," said Plumlee.
To learn about volunteering or donating to Ronald McDonald House Charities, click here.
