On Friday, June 8th, I had the pleasure of joining my Wodify colleagues, friends, and family members to cook and prepare dinner for 45 family members staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Southern NJ in Camden.
Located at 550 Mickle Boulevard (also known as Martin Luther King Blvd) the not-for-profit Ronald McDonald House of Southern NJ has served as a home-away-from-home,” since 1974 for over 17,000 families whose children are being treated at nearby hospitals for critical illness or traumatic injuries. Each family stays at the Ronald McDonald House while its child is under a physician’s care, whether the child is hospitalized or receiving outpatient care.
The Wodify team and I had to opportunity to tour the facility and talk to some of the families staying there. I was most impressed with how well this facility was run and how cheery it felt inside. Guests had such positive attitudes and you could tell they were grateful for everything provided by the Ronald Mcdonald House. They did such an amazing job of decorating the place with themed rooms, places for kids to play, computer labs to work, and a huge dining hall for everyone to gather. It felt reminicent of a Bed and Breakfast environment.
We arrived with our trunks filled with food, drinks and supplies and treated the guests to marinated, grilled chicken breasts and sausages, roasted vegetables and salad. Guests came pouring out of their rooms to the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. One guest even said it reminded them of home.
We definitely felt the time crunch as we neared the 5:30 dinner bell but we got into a good rhythm and were able to keep food freshly stocked throughout dinner even though the cookies were quickly disappearing. We were truly honored to help families under so much stress, to relax for a short time with a home-cooked dinner.
