Kilimanjaro Cooks For Ronald McDonald House Charity Randwick

What is Ronald McDonald House Charity about?

Ronald McDonald House Charity aims to keep families together by providing a ‘home away from home’ for those with seriously ill children living in regional areas. It began back in 1974, when Philadelphia Eagles football player Fred Hill and his wife Fran were struggling as they lived their days in and out of the hospital eating out of vending machines while their daughter was treated for Leukaemia. Fred saw numerous families in a similar position and begun raising funds to purchase a house nearby the hospital to make it easier for those in tough times. Willingly, McDonald’s agreed to help fund this and donated proceeds following their launch of the ‘Shamrock Shake’. Thus, Ronald McDonald House Charity was born.

Currently, there are 16 Ronald McDonald Houses in Australia and more than 360 houses worldwide. Our tribe visited the Randwick House, that provides a home for 32 families a night, all year round. The house not only provides facilities for families travelling a long way for their children but takes away the stress of trying to find affordable accommodation while navigating around a foreign city so that they are able to focus on what truly matters – their children.

Make a Meal Initiative

Ronald McDonald House has created a safe and convenient place that families can easily come home to after a long and exhausting day at the hospital with their ill children. In these vulnerable situations, worrying about their child’s wellbeing is the main priority; therefore cooking a meal is usually the last thing on their mind. This is why the Make a Meal program means a lot more than just cooking dinner. These families are able to relax after a long day of stress and anxiety and feel the support of the community

Kilimanjaro raises their hand to help

Kilimanjaro Consulting were privileged to be able to have the opportunity to engage in this cause by participating in Make a Meal to provide nurture and support to the families. As a team, we prepared a variety of foods to ensure all the families were able to enjoy their favourite meal. We began by making a pumpkin and sweet potato soup, followed by assorted side salads and an array of meat on the barbecue and pasta bake. Kilimanjaro’s cooperation with RMHC goes beyond the kitchen, as we helped reduce their manual labour dramatically by implementing MYOB Exo into their 13 chapter houses – read the full story here to see how Exo gave stable communication inside the charity.

“The engine-room of the house are the volunteers. Each one has an inspiring story to tell. I would recommend each of you to, at some point in your lives, to volunteer for a cause such as this. It is a lesson in the strength of the human spirit and a reminder of how small things can make a big difference.” – said Ronnie Baskind – Managing Director of Kilimanjaro Consulting

One of a kind experience

Finally, Make a Meal was a one of a kind experience. We were given the opportunity to make an impact on the families in their home away from home, meeting resilient and inspiring people while bonding with one another within our tribe. We felt that we made a difference to a meaningful and lasting cause.

In participating in this initiative for Ronald McDonald House, the many benefits one can receive may not be immediately apparent. We connected with the resilient families and learned how they are able to overcome adversity. The team-building exercise of feeding 80 people gave us a sense of personal warmth to both our tribe and to the families.

If you have any enquiries, give us a call on 1300 857 464 (AU) or 0800 436 774 (NZ), or send us an email at sales@kilimanjaro-consulting.com.