At the end of the day, what I do helps people and that’s a different kind of measurement than money,” says Annette Richardson Eros, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. Turning 36 this month, Eros is appreciating that aspect of her job more and more. She has a new family of her own.

Married in March 2002, Eros had her first child, daughter Ava, in March a year later. Balancing her new responsibilities is both rewarding and challenging, she says. But her role with the Ronald McDonald House is keeping families together, and that’s reflected in her own life.

The nonprofit McDonald House serves as a home away from home for families who need specialized care for their children. Not only does the housing facility provide much-needed financial support for families, it allows families with hospitalized children to be with each other. The Ronald McDonald House Charities also gives grants to other nonprofit organizations.

The house, located on the Children’s Hospital campus in Kearny Mesa, is a 12-bedroom building set up to make the difficult time families will spend there as comfortable as possible. When the house is full, the organization places families in area hotels.

Eros came to SDSU as an 18-year-old freshman majoring in journalism. She has never moved away. After graduating, the Bay area native began a career in public relations. While that experience helped hone her skills in that aspect of her current job, Eros now must be an expert in managing a staff as well.

As a recipient of McDonald’s Best Bet Marketing Award and Pilot Program, Eros was recently accepted to USD’s new nonprofit leadership master’s program, one of only 20 participants. She has nurtured extensive relationships with other nonprofits, merging and expanding already existing community programs, and has launched a new volunteer program.

Eros enjoys the experiences life sends her way and focuses her free time on family and friends. “Bringing a child into the world is a miracle,” she says, and it puts everything else into perspective.

— Alexis Pasqua