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EFFECTIVE April 1, 2024
🛑 Important Announcement: Temporary Pause of Meal Makers Program 🛑
If you already have a scheduled Meal Makers date, please keep it! We simply aren’t accepting new Meal Makers at this time.
Dear Valued Volunteers,
We wanted to inform you of an important update regarding our Meal Makers program at our Ronald McDonald House. In order to better accommodate all guests and ensure accessibility for everyone, we will be initiating construction for our Access for All project. As a result of this construction project, we will be temporarily pausing our Meal Makers program during this time.
We understand the immense impact your contributions make to our guest families, and we want to express our deepest gratitude for your ongoing support. While we recognize this temporary pause may inconvenience some of you, please know that your dedication to our cause is truly appreciated.
We will be utilizing this time to prepare for the construction and make necessary arrangements to resume our Meal Makers program as soon as possible. Rest assured, we will keep you updated on any developments and provide a timeline for when we expect to restart the program.
Once again, we thank you for your understanding and unwavering commitment to helping families in need during challenging times. Your generosity truly makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly.
Thank you for your continued support.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of WNY team
What is Meal Makers?
At RMHC of WNY, Meal Makers is the cornerstone of our Ronald
McDonald House program. This volunteer-based meal prep program relies completely on community members to keep it operations daily.As a Meals Makers volunteer, you provide so much more than just food: you provide families with time to decompress with others after a tough day at the hospital, with the comfort and warmth of a home-cooked meal and conversation shared with families and community members. You provide them with extra support during some of their most challenging times.
Who volunteers?
Everyone can volunteer! Families, groups of friends, university and high school student groups, businesses, churches, and civic organizations alike volunteer to provide a meal for our families.
How does it work? What do we cook?
Cook in Ronald McDonald House Kitchen: Meal Makers volunteers work as a group (3-5 people in a group) to plan the menu, purchase ingredients, and prepare meals in our Ronald McDonald House’s fully-equipped kitchen. We also have an outdoor grill (seasonal availability).
Please aim to have all food finished by 5 pm. If you have questions about the timing, reach out to Yulanda McVay.
ALL food must be prepared in our kitchen, except for prepared food from a grocery store. We are not able to serve par-baked or pre-prepared food.
Pro Tip: Creativity is welcome when planning your menu! If you’re unsure of what to cook, you can always check to see if your date is a National Food Holiday and plan around that! Looking for meal inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board!
Setup up a time/date to prepare a meal at our Ronald McDonald House: To check Meal Maker openings and confirm your Meal Makers evening, check the Meal Makers calendar below or call Yulanda McVay, our House Manager, at (716) 883-1177 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or email ymcvay@rmhcwny.org.
Meal Makers is presented by Northtown Automotive Companies
After a long day at the hospital, there’s nothing more appreciated than a home-cooked meal.
Get together with friends, family, or co-workers to plan a menu and prepare a comforting evening meal for our guest families.
Sign-up to be a Meal Maker Today!
Important Announcement: Temporary Pause of Meal Makers Program
Effective April 1st, 2024, we are pausing our Meal Makers program due to construction work happening at the house.
We hope to resume Meal Makers later this year. Thank you for your understanding.
If you’re looking for additional ways to support the House, contact Johnathan Bush, jbush@rmhcwny.org.