For Individual Volunteers, NOT Groups
Cook and Pack 25 "Meals with Love" for Family Members of Children who are Ill or Injured and Receiving Healthcare
WHEN
- Sunday 8/02/2026, 12:30-4:45pm
-
Sign up by 7/26/2026
~5 volunteers are still needed.
WHAT
Ronald McDonald House provides a place for families to call home while their sick or injured child receives treatment at a nearby hospital, enabling them to stay close at no cost. The 10 apartments are safe spaces that provide all the comforts of home, especially vital for families with children who may be immunocompromised. Staff and volunteers work to alleviate the stress of daily living for families and enable them to focus on the health and well-being of their children.
Optional: Donate $15 or more to help us purchase the $250 groceries needed.
There is a financial hardship option in the registration process, so please do not let an inability to donate deter you from signing up to help.
WHERE
Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard
Note: PMD only shares specific directions, maps, and other details with registered volunteers since we cannot accommodate any walk-ins, i.e., unregistered volunteers simply showing up.WHY
A Ronald McDonald House also provides comfort, support and resources for families, just steps away from the hospital. In Charlestown, the House has 10 apartments that have all of the comforts of home, plus the compassion and hospitality of staff, volunteers, and other families. As part of alleviating the stress of daily living for families and enabling them to focus on the health and well-being of their child, prepared meals are available for families to reheat when they return from the hospital.
Volunteer labor and donations for the groceries make this new PMD project possible.
Regardless of whether one volunteers on 8/2, anyone can help underwrite the cost of groceries by donating using any method listed at https://www.pmd.org/donate - Please remember to designate your gift for "Ronald McDonald House Dinner"
HOW
PMD canNOT accept any UNregistered, walk-in volunteers.
If this project reaches maximum capacity, then interested volunteers can join the backup list, since we anticipate (and promote) cancellations in case of illness and covid-19 exposures.
For volunteers ages 14-17, a parent/guardian must also co-sign printouts of both PMD's waiver/release and PMD's Health Reporting Form.
Call PMD if you cannot register online using qualtrics.
CALL THE PMD OFFICE at
After you register successfully, you will see a confirmation screen and receive a confirmation email message, so be sure to save the date and times on your calendars AND add [email protected] to your address/white/allow list.
Then a few days before this project PMD will email specific details in a PDF, including directions to the project site by public transit and by car, what to wear/expect, checklist, map, and release form for minors that a parent/guardian must co-sign and provide at at check-in on 8/2 -- Volunteers age 18+ provide their consent when registering online, to minimize paperwork.
WHO
This project requires being in excellent health (and living with others who are also).There is only space for 7 volunteers, so complete registrations will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. (As always, only individuals may sign themselves up to participate, except that parents can sign up their children ages 14-15.)
This is a physically demanding, fast-paced volunteer opportunity requiring attention to details and food safety compliance.
Volunteers must be age 14 or older.
Cooking experience is not required, but volunteers must be able to to prepare and cook ingredients, as well as to clean up, while standing most of the time in a warm kitchen. Like for all PMD projects, participation for the entire project span is required.
This is a fragrance-free event, meaning that participants must not wear perfume or cologne, or scented skin, hair, facial, or clothing/laundry products.
For 33+ years, public charity People Making a Difference (PMD) has promoted informed and responsible volunteerism by involving people in tangible work that meets local needs and by assisting companies in building successful community involvement programs that:
- Produce appreciable results while conserving recipients' limited resources.
- Educate volunteers about broader issues.
- Bring people together to make a difference.
"Part of our son's (cancer) treatment involved traveling to and remaining in Boston (hundreds of miles away from home) for seven consecutive weeks. As a family, we were extremely grateful when we learned about Ronald McDonald House (RMH) and were subsequently blessed to stay in one of the apartments. RMH provided us with housing and regular delicious meals. We met amazing staff who reached out daily to remind us that they were there to support us in any way they could. It was more than free housing and delicious meals; it was family in a foreign city."
Excerpt from the Richards Family Story, https://ronaldmcdonaldhousenewengland.org/richards-family
"So, as I shuffled my way to the fridge feeling worn out, exhausted and deflated about the day, I grabbed a prepared meal. I popped off the cover and tears came to my eyes. Volunteers that day had prepared an entire Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing, gravy, and even cranberry sauce. As I reheated my plate, tears slid down my face with gratitude. All I could think about was how food connects us and how truly comforting it is....I was in pure survival mode working with the team of doctors to save her life and that's where all my focus was. When I returned to RMH each day I knew I was being taken care of."
Excerpt from the Walker Family Story, https://ronaldmcdonaldhousenewengland.org/meet-the-walker-family/