Rotary Browns Bay has completed its third annual catering project at Ronald McDonald House., with members cooking dinner for parents and children staying at the accommodation.

Ronald McDonald House is an independent charity that provides a home-away-from-home for families of children receiving treatment at Starship Hospital.  The House relies on an enormous amount of support from the community. Tuesdays and Thursdays are ‘Family Dinner Nights’, where community, service and corporate groups cook dinner for the families staying in Ronald McDonald House.  A team of 12-15 people turn up, prepare, cook and serve dinner for up to 120  people. 

Because many of the parents are unable to leave their sick child at that time, leftovers are packaged up and left in the fridge so parents can access a healthy, nutritious meal at any time. Typically, 50-80 people turn up for the dinner.  For the other five days of the week it’s takeaways, fast and convenient food, so the families really appreciate having groups come along and provide a meal. 

Members of Rotary Browns Bay met a family of six that has been living at Ronald McDonald House for a year while one of their children receives regular bone marrow transplants.  Their home is Christchurch, but their lives are on hold until their daughter’s treatment is completed. Two of their children wrote a very touching ‘thank you’ speech which they read to Rotary Browns Bay members.

Rotary Browns Bay members agree it's a very worthwhile community project. For information on organising your own ‘cook night’, contact Sarah Ferens at Ronald McDonald House ( sarah.ferens@rmhc.org.nz).