Stephanie, Kristin, and their colleagues cooked breakfast and lunch for sick children and their families at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas.

Your name: Stephanie

Cause name: Moroch Partners Media Outreach / Coordinators: Stephanie Ward (email) and Kristin Arthur (email)

Cause website: http://www.rmhdallas.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer/

Is this your first time volunteering with this cause? We had a team volunteer with Ronald McDonald House several years ago, but most of our volunteers were new and had not had this experience before.

Questions

1. Please provide a short paragraph about your volunteer experience.

We volunteered to provide, prepare and serve both breakfast and lunch for one day to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House while they have children undergoing treatment at area hospitals.  We organized two teams of 12 people each to plan a menu, shop for food and cook these meals.  The overwhelming majority of services this House provides are made possible by volunteers and donations.  This was an opportunity for our group to provide a warm meal and a smile to those families that are going through an extremely difficult time in their lives.  The Ronald McDonald House is a free place to stay for qualifying families of sick children.  We were glad to show our support and be a part of such a wonderful cause.

2. What were you expecting going into this volunteering event? Did those expectations change at all once you were done volunteering?

To be honest, we did not know what to expect!  We went into the event with open minds and open hearts.  I was very impressed with the kitchen, the tools, the systems and the organization they had in place.  The Ronald McDonald House makes it as easy as possible for volunteers to come in and do the job efficiently, as well as offering a comfortable, warm and friendly environment.  It was relaxed and fun!

3. What was one thing you saw or did today that you’ll remember from today’s volunteering event?

One of the full-time House volunteers gave us a tour once our meal was complete and we had finished cleaning up after ourselves.  It is an amazing place and the services provided to these families is incomparable.  It was touching to see the attention to detail given so that families could truly call it a home away from home.

4. As an “experienced” volunteer at this cause, what would you tell someone who’s interested in volunteering at this cause for the first time?

I would reinforce to them that this was a very positive experience and that you will undoubtedly take away more than you give.  Don’t let cooking a meal for a large amount of people be intimidating!  It is not really too challenging and ends up being a great way to bond with your group.  The Ronald McDonald House operates with an extremely low income, so it is quite inspiring to see such a wonderful place function on the giving spirit of others!

5. Are there any additional items people should know about volunteering at this cause?

The House asks that you keep your group to a limit of 12 people for meals.  We formed two groups (one for breakfast and one for lunch) so that 24 of us could participate.  It is also recommended that you do not come if you are feeling ill or under the weather.  These families are around very sick children and we would not want to pass on anything harmful to them.  Three meals are provided to the approximately 50-70 guests of the house each day, so there is a great need for food and volunteers to prepare it.  There are also opportunities to host activities or events in the evenings.  They have had anything from movie nights to ice cream socials which call for a group of about 5 max volunteers.

Thank you Stephanie and Kristin! Keep helping to make your community a better place!

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