Prepare a Meal

Calling all Volunteer Groups!

Our families look forward to a home-cooked meal after a long day at the hospital. We are looking for groups, families, churches, or individuals are willing to prepare meals at our Iowa City House location and our St. Luke’s Family Room location in Cedar Rapids. At this time, we are not welcoming groups into our UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital location due to hospital visitor restrictions. 

It is now more convenient than ever with options for every group. 

Prepare a Meal: Your group plans the menu, brings the groceries to one of our locations, and prepares the meal for our families to be served at 5:30 pm. This option is available at all 3 locations.

Casserole Club: Come in during the day and prepare casseroles for us to provided when we don’t have an evening volunteer group. Just like the option above, you pick the casserole, bring the ingredients to one of our locations, and prepare the casseroles on site. 

Chef Lead Experience: This brand new option is for those volunteer groups who just want to show up and cook. Our Chef Robert Bly, will plan the menu, do the shopping, and have instructions and items ready for your group to do the cooking. For a donation of $400, we take the leg work out of preparing a meal. Only available Monday – Friday. 

Cater a meal: If you can’t make it to one of our locations, consider having a meal catered! 

Interested in providing a meal for our families? Click the button below.

Here's what you need to know:

  • Dinner is served at 5:30 pm each evening. Once the meal is served, our staff will monitor and put away any leftovers for families to enjoy later.
  • For the House, please provide enough for 65 people. For the Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Luke’s, please provide enough for 30 people.
  • To prepare a meal, volunteers must be at least 14 years old. Those under 18 must have parent/guardian consent to participate. If you are under 18, it is best to contact the Volunteer Coordinator in advance to coordinate.
  • Your menu does not need to meet any particular dietary restriction.
  • Sorry, due to food safety guidelines, we cannot serve food prepared at home.  Food must be prepared in a commercial kitchen.
  • Please email your menu to VolunteerCoordinator@rmhc-eiwi.org prior to your scheduled date.
 
***Don’t want to plan the menu and shop? We now offer a option where our Chef will do the planning and your group just comes in and does the cooking. Only available at the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City for a donation of $400. Only available Monday – Friday. 

Where do we park?

Ronald McDonald House, 730 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City.

Parking near the Ronald McDonald House is limited and strictly enforced by the University of Iowa.  We have a few designated volunteer parking spots in the RMHC parking lot. If you will be arriving after 4:30 pm or providing a weekend meal, you may park anywhere in the Carver Hawkeye Arena Lot for free.

Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Luke’s, located within the Helen G. Nassif Center for Women’s and Children’s Health located at 150 11th St. NE in Cedar Rapids.

Free parking is available in the surface lot or parking ramp immediately across the street. Everyone from your group will need to check in at the front desk within the lobby on the main level. Once checked in, you will be able to take the elevator to the second floor where the Family Room is located. Take a left off of the elevator and then take a right at the nurses’ station. The entrance to the Family Room will be on your right where you can check in with the Family Room staff.

Thank you again for your interest in donating your time, effort and talent to cook for our families. Your kindness helps us keep families close to each other and the care they need, when they need it most.

Questions?

Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City(319) 500-RMHC Option 3

Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Luke’s(319) 500-RMHC Option 9

Ronald McDonald Family Room at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital(319) 500-RMHC Option 8