Thank you for your interest in volunteering to help provide meals to the families of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (RMHC-KC). By signing up to serve, you are helping provide meals in one of our five kitchens located at our Cherry St. Campus (Longfellow House and Wylie House), Ronald McDonald House – Children’s Mercy, and the Ronald McDonald House – Family Room in Overland Park Regional Medical Center. For more information, please visit our Meal Program information page and review the instructions and details below.
If you have additional questions about making meals or want help signing up for meals on our website – email us at [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Cherry Street campus meal groups usually have 5-10 volunteers. Meal groups in the Ronald McDonald House – CMH and Ronald McDonald House – Family Room in Overland Park Regional have a maximum of 6 volunteers, due to space limitations.
- If a volunteer is sick, has any contagious illness symptoms, or there is a risk of exposing others to the cold, flu, or coronavirus – it is in the best interests of RMHC-KC for them to stay home and away from our most vulnerable guests.
- For food preparation, please plan to make food for at least 40-50 people. If you make extra, 50+ individual meals would be used and eaten!
- All the food that you serve must be prepared in our kitchens or in a commercial kitchen. We cannot serve any food to our families that has been prepared in a home kitchen.
- Your group will serve cafeteria-style. We are asking that groups do a hybrid of making plates for families who are ready to eat and packaging remaining food into individual containers (provided here) for families to quickly grab and enjoy later who can’t make it to the meal time. Check out our Meal Service Timeline for more details!
- Please do not leave large containers of food behind on the counters or in the fridges.
- Groups are required to bring all ingredients. We do not provide communal pantry items such as butter, oil, salt, sugar, pepper, flour, spices, etc.
- We suggest menu items that are easy to prepare in bulk, can be tailored to include vegetarian options, and reheat well. View more details and meal ideas here
- Drinks are encouraged but need to be all individual servings/bottles and unopened. This is very popular with families but not required when serving a meal. I.e. bottles of water, sports drinks, tea, soda, juice, etc.
- RMHC-KC will provide cookware, kitchen supplies and kitchen basics (paper towels, gloves, soap, trash bags, etc. – cleaning and kitchen supply donations welcome)
Day of Instructions: Food & Hand Washing Safety
Thank you for generously serving a meal at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City. We ask that you follow these food handling guidelines to ensure the safety of families.
- If a volunteer is sick, has any contagious illness symptoms, or there is a risk of exposing others to the cold, flu, or coronavirus – it is in the best interests of RMHC-KC for them to stay home and away from our most vulnerable guests.
- All the food that you serve must be prepared in our kitchens or in a commercial kitchen. We cannot serve any food to the families that has been prepared in a home kitchen.
SANITIZE
- Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds frequently and before handling food.
- Wear gloves while handling or serving any food. Change gloves between tasks.
- Clean off all counters and surfaces with antibacterial spray before cooking or serving food.
- Consistently sanitize surfaces, appliances, handles (faucets, ovens, microwaves, dishwasher doors, etc.) before and after use.
- Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water
SEPARATE
- Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other foods.
- Do not re-use any utensils, plates, bowls, pans, or cutting boards without thoroughly washing with hot soapy water.
WATCH YOUR TEMPERATURES
- Check the temperature of any meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products before serving.
- Because you are preparing food for a population potentially more vulnerable to food poisoning, all meat must be cooked fully before being served.
STORING AND SEALING FOOD
- Food should not be served or left out after two hours of sitting at room temperature.
- Store food by ensuring it is completely covered and sealed with no access to air.
- Label all containers with today’s date and contents.
CLEAN UP
- Throw away any food that has been sitting out longer than 2 hours.
- Wipe off and sanitize all counters and surfaces.
- Place all cooking utensils in the dishwasher and hand-wash with hot soapy water.
Day of Directions
Downtown Campus Locations:
- The Wylie House, located at 2525 Cherry St., KC, MO 64108. The Wylie House is a large white and grayish building with a light blue door. It’s the House with the blue heart out front.
- The Longfellow House, located at 2502 Cherry St., KC, MO 64108. The Longfellow House is a large green and brown building. It’s the House with the yellow heart out front.
- The Bernstein House, located at 2501 Cherry St., KC, MO 64108. The Bernstein House is a large brick building on the corner of E. 25th St. and Cherry Street.. It’s the House with the red heart out front.
Downtown Campus Parking and Building Access
- You are welcome to park in any of our parking lots or find street parking.
- Building access: requires ringing the doorbell to be let in by the front desk.
- All adults must have their ID’s to pass through the security background check and access the rest of the House.
Family Room Locations
- The RMHC-KC Family Room inside Children’s Mercy Hospital is located at 2401 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO 64108 inside the Children’s Mercy Adele Hall Campus on the 2nd floor.
- The RMHC-KC Family Room at Overland Park Regional Medical Center is located at 12200 W 106th St. Medical Plaza West St. Suite 235, Overland Park, KS 66215 inside Overland Park Regional Medical Center Medical Plaza West building on the 2nd floor.
Family Room Parking, Unloading, and Building Access
- The RMHC-KC Family Room at Overland Park Regional Medical Center -Follow the hospital signs that lead to the “Medical Plaza West” building. Park anywhere in the lot west of the building. call (913-541-6797) when you arrive and we will bring down our carts to help. Feel free to park in the circle drive until you are unloaded.
- The RMHC-KC Family Room inside Children’s Mercy Hospital – Unload at the main entrance circle drive or use garage parking for patients/visitors. All adults must have their ID’s to pass through the security background check and access the rest of the hospital. Once your entire group has arrived at The Roasterie Café on the ground floor (G) of the hospital, please call the Family Room (816-234-1533) and they will come to escort you up.
If you have additional questions about making meals or help signing up for meals on our website – contact RMHC-KC’s Volunteer Coordinator, Rose Shotwell at [email protected].
Thank you for your support providing comfort through the gift of meals to families when they need it most!