Our charity is embarking on a major kitchen renovation and expansion. During the project, the kitchen will be closed, but the Ronald McDonald House families will still need food. 

We have started a grassroots effort to raise funds to cover the cost of adding catering, ready-made meals, frozen options, and lots of healthy snacks for our families to use during this project. With our meal group program suspended, our costs to feed families will dramatically increase for the duration of the project. I am asking you to help me spread the word! If you are able, please contribute to the fund and share it on social media or in your office or church. Every $5 counts toward our goal of $30,000. 

Go to the Facebook Fundraiser HERE.

Why is this important? 

When a child is sick, a family will go to any length to get them the best treatment possible. This can be a daunting and scary time riddled with high expenses, stress, juggling the needs of the family with those of the sick child, and so much more. Add the need to travel to find that treatment and you have created a perfect storm where parents often neglect themselves for the sake of their child.  

That is where RMHC-EIWI steps in. At the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City, they provide a place for families to stay where they can feel like they are home, even when they can’t be. One of the most important services they provide is food. The current kitchen was not designed for large community-style meals. It is set as 4 small kitchen pods and a small serving area. With a 7-day a week meal program, they need more space, and a dedicated area for meal groups to work without disrupting families who wish to cook themselves. 

Mealtime at the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City helps kids and families maintain the routine of family dinners, shown to be a key to in building resiliency, lowering the risk of depression, and encouraging family conversation. Having that small piece of normalcy helps families cope in terms of emotional support and fear of food insecurity.   It helps ensure that healthy family members have the nutrition and support they need to take care of themselves, so they have the strength to care for their sick child.