August and September Volunteer Orientation and Training Dates

With over 600 volunteer shifts to fill each month, we rely heavily on our volunteers to help run the House.  We are  excited to announce our fall training schedule to our eager volunteer army! 

We have broken our on-boarding schedule into three different levels of training depending on what type of volunteer position you would like to hold at the House.

The Information Session will give a history of the House and our Charity, an overview of the volunteer opportunities in the House, an explanation of our volunteer schedule, an introduction to our Volunteer Programs staff, and an opportunity to fill out our new application and shift preference form. All interested volunteers are welcome, as it is a great introduction to all of the ways you can volunteer at the House but this session is required for Family Ambassadors and House Refreshers. 

Orientation I will be a complete House tour which will be required for our Family Ambassadors and House Refreshers, to get a solid sense of the layout of the House so that they can be well-informed ambassadors for our families and any special visitors.   

Orientation II will be the final training and required for Family Ambassadors and House Refreshers.  At this training, you will receive specific instructions on what your volunteer role at the House will entail and where the supplies you will need to complete your tasks are located.      

You only need to attend ONE of EACH training if you would like to be a Family Ambassador or House Refresher.  Please see the below chart for times and locations. 

To save your spot at the above trainings, please RSVP by clicking here.  We look forward to meeting all of you and empowering our army of volunteers with the knowledge they will need to serve our families!

Family Programs Update   

Never a dull moment at Ronald McDonald House!   

 

Designed as a "daily diversion" for our families staying at the House, our Family Activities programming has hit the ground running.  Activities such as bean bag tournaments, bingo, bake night, ice cream socials, nail polish parties, improv night, make-over parties, sculpture lessons, rooftop carnivals, story nights, hula hoop competitions and milk and cookie breaks have all proven successful for all ages.  We've even had several music groups serenade our families during dinner!  The House is more alive and spirited thanks to the many volunteers who have shared their talents and time with our families.

If you are interested in producing a Family Activity, click here to learn more and check our Family Activities  calendar for availability.  Contact Anne Czarnecki  to sign up!

Meals from the Heart Update  

Cooking for 100 people with ease   

Professional athletes, hotels, restaurants, department stores, book clubs, church groups, families, friends, professional organizations, alumni organizations, fellow non profits, and RMHC committees have one thing in common- they've cooked for over 100 people in our new, state-of-the-art Meals from the Heart kitchen at our new House! 

 Over 70 meals have already been prepared for our families.  Taco nights, a pig roast, carving stations, build your own pizzas, Macy's signature "Chicken Pot Pies," Market House's signature mac and cheese, BBQ, and "breakfast for dinner" are just a sampling of delicious meals prepared on-site in our kitchen.  No one in the House goes hungry thanks to these generous groups who bring all the ingredients to prepare the meal.  THANK YOU to our groups who have already cooked a meal at the House- we hope you had fun in the process! 

If you are interested in preparing a meal in the heart of our home, click here to check our Meals from the Heart calendar for availability and contact Kelly McNaughton to sign up!

Caring Partner Spotlight   

Wendella Sightseeing Boats and Chicago Water Taxi partner with RMH

It never hurts to ask your friends for a little help.  Since she started volunteering, Leahanna Horn couldn't stop talking to her friends and family about her experiences at the House.  She was so proud to be a part of the charity and was filled with joy after each volunteer shift.  One friend was touched so much by her stories of families at the House that he wanted "in" and thus our friendship with Wendella Sightseeing Boats and Chicago Water Taxi began! 

Each Wednesday has now been dubbed "Wendella Wednesday" at the House, where families can coordinate with our Volunteer Programs team to receive donated tickets from Wendella to cruise the lake and river or get an architectural tour of our beautiful city.  What a generous donation and a fabulous treat for our families.

THANK YOU Leahanna for having the "gusto" to talk about our House and our families with local business owners and THANK YOU Wendella for being such a caring partner.  As you can see, our families have enjoyed the break you have provided to relax and enjoy Chicago from such a unique angle! 

 

The Allen Family enjoying the lake and river tour.

The Stuckey Family enjoying Chicago's beautiful skyline.

Upcoming Events    

Join us at our next fundraisers!

Join our Red Shoe Society Chicago for their annual Battle of the Bags bean bag tournament at Rocco Ranalli's in Lincoln Park on August 25th.  $100 for a team of two and $35 for spectators which includes drinks and appetizers for 4 hours!

There will be a ton of great raffle prizes and, back again this year, the highly popular Gift Card Pong.  Click here to find out more and sign up for this fun annual event!