Baking Program
A great way to become involved with the Ronald McDonald House Charities is to bake treats for the families. This opportunity is perfect for individuals or groups of all ages to volunteer in a fun and meaningful way. Coming back from the hospital to delicious homemade treats and the smells of home is a great way to end the day.
To arrange a date to come in and bake, please call the House at (515) 243-2111 or email maggie@rmhdesmoines.org. Scheduling is available from 9:00am-3:00pm daily at Ronald McDonald House near Blank Children’s Hospital. All scheduling must be confirmed with the office.
All ingredients will need to be supplied by you. Often, we’ll have basic baking supplies in our cupboards, which you are welcome to use. Once you’ve determined what you will be baking, please feel free to stop by the House to check our pantry to see if you could use any of the supplies we already have on hand.
We have some plastic storage containers available to store goodies. We also have plenty of Ziplock sandwich and snack size bags for portioning cookies, bars, snack mixes, etc.
Because of State of Iowa health regulations, we ask that you prepare the treats in our kitchen. We have a large kitchen with 2 ovens, 2 stoves, 2 refrigerators and 2 microwaves.
An adult must accompany bakers under the age of 18. All individuals age 18 and over must scan their driver’s license through LobbyGuard located at the front desk.
We want you to have fun, be creative and enjoy yourself. There is no need to worry about food allergies or dietary restrictions and there is no requirement for how much to make.
To-Go Meals Program
Many of our families spend all day at the Hospital, so they are with their child as much as possible. It is so helpful to have pre-made packaged food that they are able to take along with them. Without this, many families eat out of vending machines.
This is a great opportunity for volunteers to give back. Volunteers are able to provide the ingredients and prepare the food at the House, so that families have food ready to go for them.
Volunteers are able to prepare anything that they like that is easily packaged in things such as plastic wrap, or zip lock baggies. This can be wraps, sandwiches, cut fruit, cut veggies, chex mix, trail mix, homemade bars, etc.
Guidelines for preparing To-Go Meals:
- Food must be prepared in our kitchen per Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Iowa Global Health Code.
- Volunteer groups must provide the ingredients.
- Groups can have a maximum of 10 individuals.
- We have plastic wrap and zip lock baggies, but volunteers can provide more if they would like.
- Label and date the packaging with sharpies provided by RMH.
