Get Involved
Meals that Heal
Volunteer to Create Home-Cooked Meals for Guests
We believe in the power of a home-cooked meal to bring comfort and warmth to families during challenging times. We invite you to join us in creating these special moments by volunteering to prepare and serve meals for our guest families.
Want to come for a visit and help prepare a meal? Call email Volunteer Manager, Arielle Hirt at ahirt@rmhccin.org
Volunteer Opportunities
We have updated our Meals that Heal policies and guidelines to prioritize our families, volunteers and staff. All groups must abide by these rules in order to participate.
Lunch Service:
Days: Monday or Friday
Time: 10:30am-2:00pm
Location: First Floor Family Room inside Riley Children’s Health
Dinner Service:
Days: Tuesday or Thursday
Time: 3:30pm-7:00pm
Location: Ronald McDonald House on Limestone
How You Can Help:
Due to space limitations, volunteer groups can have a maximum of 5 members, and all volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Here are two ways your group can make a difference:
Donate and Serve
Donate $350 to provide a catered meal for house guests.
Your group will come to serve the meal and pack up leftovers for families to enjoy later.
Cook Together
Choose a menu, buy the ingredients, and prepare the meal together in our fully equipped kitchen.
Whether you choose to donate a catered meal or cook from scratch, your efforts will provide much-needed nourishment and a sense of normalcy for families staying with us.
Want to provide a meal for families? Email Volunteer Manager, Arielle Hirt at ahirt@rmhccin.org to learn more and get started.
Food Safety
Cooking On-Site
Your group will receive pre-set menus to select from, purchase the ingredients, and prepare the meal in our fully equipped kitchen with guidance from our culinary team on how to safely prepare, cook and assemble to the food.
Donate and Serve
Our culinary team will order a catered meal with your donation and your group will come to serve the meal.
Safety Practices
Our culinary team will review all safety protocols while on site. We ask that our volunteers practice proper food safety measures, including frequent handwashing, eliminating cross-contamination/raw foods, wearing hairnets/hair ties, and gloves, etc. Additionally, all refrigerated items should stay chilled as long as possible, and food in the kitchen should always be covered.
Meal Service and Clean Up
On-Site Dining
Some families may choose to eat in their rooms depending on seating availability and their comfort level. Families often have inconsistent schedules due to patient treatments and may not be in the dining room to eat while your group is on-site. Please know that finding a freshly prepared meal waiting in the refrigerator when they return is a welcome sight.
Packing Meals
Your group will pack any leftovers in to-go containers for families to enjoy after the scheduled mealtime.
Clean-Up
Participants are responsible for thoroughly cleaning the kitchen as part of the Meals that Heal volunteer shift. Cleaning instructions will be provided by our culinary team, and all volunteers are expected to stay until clean-up is complete. and all trash is taken to the dumpster.
Volunteer Expectations
We strive to create a safe, welcoming and respectful environment for our families, staff and volunteers. As such, we expect volunteers to adhere to the following:
- Bring compassion and respect to your volunteerism.
- Follow direction of RMHCCIN staff.
- We welcome volunteers, staff and families of all backgrounds, ethnicities and religions. Please exclude any personal religious influences while on-site to ensure a welcoming space for all.
- You may take photos of your group only and must thoroughly wash your hands after taking pictures or using your phone. Please do not take photos or videos of RMHCCIN families without permission.
- Volunteers are prohibited from exchanging personal information with or soliciting services to our families.