Sarah Lemmon October 13, 2015 7:16am

Photo via RMHC

The folks at the Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) of Western Washington and Alaska recently reached out to us to ask to share the news that they could use some help. They provide housing for 80 families nightly who have children receiving treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital for serious illnesses. They get a lot of support from the local community to help provide many comforts for their “home-away-from-home,” such as hot meals, supplies in our free pantry, and much more.

Here’s a couple ways the RMHC folks are looking for help:
Donate Canned or Dry Goods: We’re always in need of canned and dry goods at the House. We welcome donations of newly purchased shelf-stable items, which have expiration dates of at least two months out. You can visit our Amazon wishlist and purchase online, or donate goods directly to our front desk at 5130 40th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. If you plan to make a very large donation or are interested in holding a food drive in your community, please contact our Operations Manager, Kaarin Stowell, at kaarin@rmhcseattle.org.
Donate to our Food Fund: This year, we’re starting a “Food Fund” specifically to help tide us over later in the year when our supplies tend to get low. We work with Food Services of America to purchase dry and canned goods, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy products with this money. Since we reassess what we need in the pantry on a weekly basis, you can be sure your donation will be going towards goods that are most needed. You can make a donation to the Food Fund on our website – just select “Pantry Food” on the Program Area drop down menu to make sure it goes into the Food Fund.
Snack Lunches: Our “Snack Lunch” program here at the House is an opportunity for all ages to get involved in charitable work. We’re asking for donations of brown bag lunches, filled with non-perishable, shelf-stable items like granola bars, fruit cups, crackers, and a juice box. Items must be newly purchased with an expiration date of at least two months out. We leave these in our pantry for families to grab as they’re on the run back and forth to Children’s Hospital. All a family has to do is add a sandwich and a piece of fruit from our free pantry, and they are all ready to go. The amount of snack lunches you make is up to you, but every single one is appreciated by the parents and kids who stay here. This is a great activity for scout troops and we are happy to give an “I ♥ RMHC” pin to donors.
Make a Meal: We are always looking for groups of 3-15 adults to make a hot meal for our families. We provide a huge kitchen and all the utensils you will need to make a meal – all you have to do is bring ingredients, have fun cooking with your group onsite, and enjoy serving a delicious homemade meal to families. For more information on the meal program, please see our website!