Prepare and serve
Bring your family, coworkers, friends or community group. Provide the ingredients, prepare a meal in a House kitchen, and serve it to families.
VOLUNTEER • MEALS FROM THE HEART
Meals from
the Heart
A warm meal. A moment of comfort.
Help families with a child in the hospital gather around the table. Prepare a meal, share a little kindness, and give them one less thing to worry about.
Community volunteers help make a House feel like home.
More than a meal.
A little room to breathe.
When a child is in the hospital, finding time to cook can be difficult. Meals from the Heart brings a warm, home-cooked meal to families every day of the week.
A shared meal offers nourishment, conversation and support. It gives families a chance to meet one another and reminds them that their community cares.
Family dinners are needed nightly at both Houses:
Ronald McDonald House near Cox South
Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids
There’s a place for
everyone at the table.
Choose the way you can help. Every meal makes a difference to a family staying close to their child.
Provide a catered meal
Arrange a meal prepared in a commercial kitchen or purchased ready to serve. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all welcome.
Give ingredients
Help stock the kitchen with staples such as pasta, rice, beans, vegetables and fruit. Contact the team to discuss current needs.
Make a gift
Help cover ingredients and meal preparation with a monetary gift supporting our Ronald McDonald Houses.
Bring your heart.
We’ll help with the rest.
Start with the calendar, then contact Baylor Hodges to arrange a date at either House. You can serve once or set up a recurring meal.
Red: dinners fulfilled at the House near Cox South.
Yellow: dinners fulfilled at the House at Mercy Kids.
Breakfast or lunch instead? Please give at least one week’s notice so families can plan for the meal.
Please confirm your preferred date with Baylor before making arrangements.
Baylor Hodges
baylor.hodges@rmhcozarks.org
417-427-8641
A little planning.
A welcoming meal.
A few shared guidelines help create a good experience for your group and the families. Read the complete program and food preparation guidelines before you serve.
Before you arrive
- Keep your group to six people or fewer. Larger groups can divide into smaller teams serving on different dates.
- Children and teens need adult sponsors. Provide at least one adult for every five children.
- Stay home if you are unwell or may have been exposed to a communicable illness. Families may include children with weakened immune systems.
- Plan for approximately 15–25 people. Call a few days ahead to confirm the latest estimate; hospital schedules can change attendance.
- Aim to begin dinner between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. You may serve buffet style or set the tables and serve families.
In the kitchen
- Use a House kitchen or a commercial kitchen. You may also bring a meal purchased already cooked. Please choose something other than spaghetti, which families eat often.
- Bring the groceries. House kitchens have dishes, glasses, pots, pans and utensils, plus pantry items you may be able to use. The House near Cox South also has a gas grill.
- Follow the food preparation guidelines. Wash hands and forearms for at least 20 seconds, use gloves for ready-to-eat foods, and use the provided aprons and hair nets.
- Serve, store leftovers and clean up. Keep food properly stored and place dinnerware in the dishwashers for cleaning and sanitizing.
- Need help serving or cleaning up? Tell the team in advance; a Family Care Manager may be able to help coordinate support.
Can’t cook?
You can still care.
A gift can help with ingredients and meal preparation while supporting families at our Ronald McDonald Houses.
Use the Ronald McDonald Houses giving form, or contact Baylor to arrange a catered meal or an ingredient donation.