When a child is in hospital, the days can be exhausting and emotionally challenging for families.
Meals from the Heart & Baking a Difference provides families staying at Ronald McDonald House with delicious and nutritious meals and treats, giving them a night off from cooking dinner and making their day a little sweeter.
We invite your organisation to support families at Ronald McDonald House through this volunteer experience.
A meaningful, team-building experience that demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, encourages staff engagement and boosts team morale.
Book your Corporate Group Volunteering session today by selecting your preferred date and program via the link below.
An RMHC ACT & SE NSW rep will be in touch with you soon to confirm your booking and provide you with further information to ensure your Corporate Group Volunteering activity is successful.
Meals from the Heart: Tuesdays & Fridays | 4.30pm – 7pm
Baking a Difference: Wednesdays | 10am-1pm
Ronald McDonald House Canberra,
Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, Level 2, Building 11, Hospital Rd, Garran ACT 2906.
$500 inc GST plus the cost of your groceries for each Meals from the Heart and Baking a Difference booking.
Payment is required to secure your spot for all corporate organisations, payment for community groups is optional.
Your generous support helps cover the cost of running this program; including equipment upkeep, volunteer training, staffing, and providing nourishing meals to families via our Mobile Meals from the Heart Program on nights we don’t have groups in.
Our main priority is to always keep our families and yourselves safe and healthy. It is a requirement for all members to register prior to coming in for your Meals from the Heart and/or Baking a Difference session and follow the direction of our friendly staff and volunteers when you arrive.
We kindly ask that you do not visit the house if you are unwell. Anyone experiencing symptoms on the day will be turned away for the health and safety of families staying with us.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your booking please contact us at [email protected] or on 02 6281 5894.
You will receive an automated email confirming your booking with instructions for the day and registration details for members.
A member of our team will be in touch ahead of your booking day to provide further information.
The maximum group size for both Meals from the Heart and Baking a Difference is 6 people.
Meals from the Heart & Baking a Difference are recommended for participants 18 years and older.
We welcome requests for children aged 16 and up to participate in these programs with adult supervision. Please email [email protected] and our team will provide the requirements for under 18 volunteering.
You are welcome to cook/bake to the level your group is comfortable with, whether you are newer to the kitchen or a master chef. We invite you to add in as much love as you like to your session!
Our kitchen will have most things you need to prepare your meal. We have two microwaves, two ovens with separate grills, as well as two large induction cooktops.
For Meals from the Heart: please be prepared to cook 2-3 main meals, 1-2 side dishes and a dessert.
For Baking a Difference: we generally recommend 2-4 varieties of baked goods, but you are welcome to make as many as you can achieve within your session time.
Please note we are a dry house, so no alcohol is allowed.
We are a not-for-profit organisation that relies on donations and community support. As financial support is vital for us to continue to provide this support for families, payment is required to secure your spot in our Meals from the Heart Volunteering Program for all Corporate Organisations.
Your generous support helps cover the cost of running this program; including equipment upkeep, volunteer training, staffing, and of course keeping our doors open to more families than ever before.
For individuals or community groups that wish to participate payment is an optional donation.
You bring the groceries and we provide the kitchen and the utensils!
Your team will organise the menu suitable for the families staying at the house and will purchase the fresh ingredients (you can bring these on the day or have them delivered directly to the house).
You will then visit the House, prepare the meal and sit down and enjoy dinner with the families staying with us.
Meals from the Heart arrival: 4.30pm with dinner service at 6.15pm. Your team will stay and enjoy the food you made with our families.
Baking a Difference arrival: 10am.
Once you arrive, our friendly staff and volunteers will sign you in and show you the ropes.
If you need assistance bringing in the groceries our team can meet you with a trolly at the entrance to building 11, please call us on 02 6281 5894 to arrange.
You can cancel your booking online up to 14 days ahead of your scheduled visit. Our team will work with you to reschedule your booking in future.
If you wish to cancel on short notice (14 days before your scheduled visit) we request that you please notify a team member directly by emailing us on [email protected] or by calling us on 02 6281 5894.
For bookings cancelled on short notice your booking payment will be used to provide families at RMHC Canberra a take away meal for the night. Allowing you to still support families when they need it most.
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Meals from the Heart menu suggestions:
Please note: soup is not very popular with our families.
Baking a Difference menu suggestions:
Adding in extra love:
Some groups like to theme their sessions, bring table decorations or settlings to make the experience extra special for families. Please speak with a member of our team if you are wanting to bring any additional items in the House.
“Each time we come along to RMHC CBR, we have a truly wonderful time. The RMHC staff are always so warm and welcoming when we arrive, and the families we meet are kind, gracious, and deeply appreciative. It’s a delightful and meaningful way to spend a Friday evening.
The opportunity to share stories and hear from the families about why they’re staying in the House makes it really special. These moments of connection make the experience even more meaningful and remind us of the impact of simple acts of kindness…
On a personal level, spending time to come up with a home cooked menu is certainly a highlight of my week. 😊
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of something so special.”
Tracey Assistant Head of Junior School
Radford College
RMHC ACT & SE NSW acknowledges the Ngunnawal People as Traditional Custodians of the lands, skies and waterways on which we work. We recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples amongst the families we care for, our employees volunteers and supporters. We pay our respects to them and their Elders past and present.
