One day a bunch of girls, brought together through family ties, decided that it was time to do something to give back to the community. All of these dedicated women had always understood the importance of never taking advantage of the opportunities they had been afforded throughout their lives. It was the notion of giving back that inspired them to form a small forum, an outlet by which they could volunteer and raise awareness for a variety of charitable organizations.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Ronald McDonald House - 4/10 - 10:00 a.m.

Last week we received our first little bump in the road and received a little bit of bad news - followed by some really good news! The bad news is that unfortunately we are not going to be able to meet on 3/21 for our first GGB event. As it turns out, Feed My Starving Children is completely booked for the next several months. It is great news for the organization, but since we want to get started with the whole giving back thing now, we decided to try something else.

So, here is the good stuff: Liz took initiative and reached out to the Ronald McDonald House to see what kinds of volunteer opportunities were available. RMH is an amazing organization that provides food and shelter, completely cost-free, for the families of children who are suffering from longterm illnesses that leave them hospitalized. For example, if a little girl was hospitalized at Children's Memorial Hospital with Leukemia, her family could stay for free at RMH and be close to the little girl's side. When sickness and disease happens in a family, the last thing the family wants to worry about is finding a hotel to accommodate them for an unknown amount of time. RMH is truly a great cause that I first learned about while living in Knoxville, TN. We volunteered there on a weekly basis, providing cleaning services and food for the families. The impact we made was very, very evident and it would be amazing to get involved with the local RMH and help them out in the same kind of way.

The response Liz received from the local chapter was very enthusiastic! They have requested that we visit the house on April 10th to prepare lunch for the visiting families. We are all going to wear comfy clothes just in case they need us to do some scrubbing after. This is going to be great!

Here are the details:
We are going to meet at the Ronald McDonald House at 10:00 a.m. on 4/10. The exact address is Tripp Avenue at Air Mail Road, Hines, IL 60141, right by the Hines V.A. Hospital. If anyone wants to join us, you are more than welcome, but only ten of us will be able to be in the kitchen at one time...Menu ideas will follow as we get a little closer to the date.
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2 comments:

  1. LizFebruary 27, 2010 at 4:11 PM

    Hey Ladies! I just received a confirmation letter from the RMH. Here are some of the details included in the letter:
    "1.) A maximun number of 10 people are always welcome to bake or prepare a meal at the House. You will have the opportunity to stay and meet the families during breakfast, lunch, or dinner and share the meal with the families. 2.) You will have access to a fully equipped kitchen. Our kitchen is divided into 4 workstations. 3.) Cleanup is an important and much appreciated part of your donation. We have 4 dishwaters. When finishing with food preparation, please rinse and place soiled dishes, bowls, and utensils in dishwasher and run the dishwasher. Please hand-wash and dry all pots and pans. 4.)We keep perishable food out for one hour. 5.)There is not a set mealtime for families. Families are on their own schedule. Families are aware of your meal donation through menus posted in the elevator and kitchen announcing the meal and chefs who prepare it. 6.) If possible please submit you menu 3 days prior so that we can post it for the families. (Meal suggestions include: hamburgers, turkey/chicken, tacos, salads, lasagna, pizza, hot dogs, stews, casseroles, meatloaf, sandwiches/subs, etc.) 7.) The kitchen is stocked with household itesm such as dishware, silverware, sm appliances, etc. You only need to bring ingredients for the chosen meal. 8.) Average occupancy of the house is 35 people. However, the amount of food is not important because not everyone comes back to the house for a meal."

    Sorry if some of the info is repetitive but I just wanted to keep all of you in the loop. Please feel free to post any comments or questions. Thanks, Liz

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  2. Amy SmietanaMarch 1, 2010 at 3:56 PM

    Thank you a million times over for organizing this volunteer event.

    At Georgetown, I spent one year working for the Lombardi Cancer Research Center on campus. The leukemia center at Lombardi maintained close relationships with Ronald McDonald House, and it has since held a special place in my heart. Though I have not volunteered there directly (not yet at least!) I did get to see just how much of an impact it had on the children and their families.

    I cannot wait to get together with you girls, and begin giving back!

    Amy

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