UON Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House

Aug 6, 2018

Over the weekend UON engaged in the ‘Home for Dinner’ program at Ronald McDonald House, cooking for the 100 people currently utilizing the House as their home away from home while their children undergo treatment at Perth Children’s Hospital.

A home cooked meal is often taken for granted, and after a long day by their child’s hospital bed cooking may be the last thing on the parents’ minds. UON hoped to be able to ease the burden of their difficult journey, and provide a little normality and community support, by providing for the families a freshly prepared meal and an opportunity to bond over food.

Employees from all departments of UON volunteered and spent all of Saturday afternoon preparing a Mexican feast in the commercial kitchen at the House, under the guidance of the in-house chef. A lot of fun was had, a lot of mess was made, and by working in pairs and groups it was a great team building exercise. It was also an incredibly rewarding experience, and once the food was prepared and served, the UON team members were able to sit and interact with the families. To see the strength of the children and their parents and the connection between all the guests and the staff of the House was humbling and awe-inspiring. Community spirit has a healing effect on all, and it was a privilege to be invited into their lives.

UON has been a long-time supporter of Ronald McDonald House and Perth Children’s Hospital through several fundraising activities and so it was wonderful to be able to get a personal tour of the House and its amazing facilities, including the Learning Centre and Recreation Room. The House provides much needed accommodation and support for families from regional WA, who have children with serious and often life threatening illnesses. It is funded through donations and local support, so to find out how you can contribute, visit their website: https://www.rmhc.org.au/.

For more on UON in the Community, visit our website.