Meredith Danko returned home to Cleveland from Chicago after leaving a banking job. Back in her hometown as a young professional, she was searching for ways to meet new people, build professional connections, find her passion, and do something meaningful. After speaking with Steve Harris, a family friend and Cleveland Trustee at RMHC NEO, she felt encouraged to join the RMHC NEO Emerging Leaders.

In 2015, while still new to the Emerging Leaders group, Meredith quickly stepped into leadership. She served fundraising committees that helped organize happy hours, Super Bowl Squares, community networking events, and later a golf outing that quickly gained traction through the strong community the group built.

After several successful fundraising efforts, Meredith became Chair of the Emerging Leaders, a role that included a seat on the RMHC Cleveland Board. In this position, she helped bring visibility to the work Emerging Leaders were doing and contributed to conversations surrounding the 2020 merger.

In 2024, the organization Meredith had volunteered with for years suddenly became personally meaningful. She gave birth to her second daughter, Chandler, who was born with serious medical complications. At four weeks old, Chandler contracted a respiratory virus, was admitted to Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, and two weeks later underwent open heart surgery.

For eight weeks, Chandler remained in the hospital recovering from surgery. Meredith and her husband found themselves in a situation similar to the families they had supported for nearly a decade through RMHC NEO and Emerging Leaders. Even though they lived locally, they did not want to leave their daughter’s side any longer than necessary.

During that time, they relied on the Ronald McDonald Family Room as a place for emotional support and respite. They used the showers, coffee, meals, and laundry services available there. These resources made it possible for them to practically live at the hospital for weeks while staying close to Chandler.

At the same time, Meredith and her husband were managing constant medical updates while also trying to keep their older daughter happy and cared for. Through this experience, they gained a deeper understanding of what it means for a family to face a medical crisis and the importance of RMHC NEO’s mission.

Over the years, Meredith has grown alongside Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio. From joining as a young professional, to taking on leadership roles within the Cleveland Trustees, to developing a deeply personal connection to the mission through her daughter’s experience, RMHC NEO has supported Meredith through every chapter, just as she has supported the organization.

Today, Meredith continues to support the mission knowing firsthand how critical those resources can be for families navigating the unimaginable.