prepare meals at our Ronald McDonald House
Volunteer Calendar and Meal Schedule(opens in new tab)

After a long day at the hospital, walking into the Ronald McDonald House and finding a meal waiting is an incredible gift for families.

Through our Meals from the Heart program, volunteer groups of all kinds—work teams, churches, service clubs, sports teams, families, or friends—can help. You can:

  • Cook a meal in our kitchen

  • Have a meal catered from a local restaurant

  • Provide grocery or restaurant gift cards

No matter how you give, you’re making life a little easier for families with sick or injured children.

Scheduling is quick and easy through our volunteer link.

Prepare a Meal

Volunteer Calendar and Scheduling(opens in new tab)
Avera NICU Nurse Prepare Meal at the Ronald McDonald House

Get a group of friends, family, or co-workers together to prepare a meal! You don't need to be a professional cook. Simple home-style meals are perfect!

Pick one of our House locations and a date. Our smaller 24th Street House by Avera averages 20 guests. The larger Lake Avenue House near Sanford Hospital has an average of 40 guests.

Cater a Meal

Coordinate a Meal Delivery(opens in new tab)
Chef Dominique Catering prepared meals for our Ronald McDonald House

We understand you might not have time to cook but would still like to provide a meal to guest families. We can also coordinate with you to arrange to have food delivered from a local restaurant.

To schedule a meal delivery opportunity or a cash or gift card donation to the Meals from the Heart program, please email Samantha Dixon at samantha@rmhcsodak.org or by calling (605) 336-6398 option 1

Gift a Meal

Donate to Meals from the Heart(opens in new tab)
Family Eating in Kitchen enjoying meals prepared at our Ronald McDonald House

There are times when our guest families cannot eat at scheduled mealtimes. In those cases, restaurant gift cards or cash donations are greatly appreciated.

Meals from the Heart FAQ

How many people should I plan to feed?
  • Our Lake Avenue location has 21 bedrooms, so we ask that you plan to feed 40 people.  
  • Our 24th Street location has 8 bedrooms, so we ask that you plan to feed 20 people.  
Do we need to bring our own ingredients?
  • Yes! While we have the essentials, such as eggs, butter and milk, we cannot guarantee that we will have the necessary ingredients for your specific meal. 
  • Please plan to bring all you will need. 
Can I bring my child(ren) with me to prepare a meal?
  • Absolutely! Children are welcome to participate as long as they are being closely supervised and can safely be around kitchen equipment. 
Which restaurants should we hire to cater a meal?

There are many local restaurants that will cater. Some suggestions include (but are not limited to): Qdoba, Roll'n Pin Catering, and The Honey Baked Ham Company. 

Where should we buy gift cards?
  • Gift Cards are an easy way to give a meal. An example of a place that would be great to get gift cards to? Roll’n Pin Catering!
  • Visa, MasterCard, and American Express gift cards work as well. 
Where should I park?
  • Both Ronald McDonald House locations offer parking lots at the back of the House for guests and visitors. Feel free to use these lots, as street parking is restricted to 2 hours.

Wishlist

In addition to full meals, we like to have ready-to-eat items on hand for our guests to grab and go. Here are a few items we like to keep on hand:

  • Fruit Cups
  • Granola Bars
  • Cereal Bars
  • Individual Mac’ N Cheese
  • To-Go Snacks
  • Individual Jell-O
  • Individual Pudding
  • Fruit Snacks
  • Coffee (Ground and K-cups)

More kitchen needs can be found here and on our Amazon Wish List.

Amazon Wish List(opens in new tab)