Select the story you'd like to read:

  • Individual Stories

  • Corporate Stories

  • Volunteer Stories

  • General Stories

A Day in the Life at a House

A Ronald McDonald House is more than a place for families to rest at night. It’s more than comfortable accommodations and home-cooked meals. The people of every House — staff members, volunteers, donors and other guests — make it a home. This is a day in the life of the Ronald McDonald House in Toronto.

Morning

Like most Ronald McDonald Houses, the House in Toronto wakes up early. Parents often take turns going back-and-forth between the hospital and the House to visit their children, and some families get up to go to early appointments.

On any morning, regardless of how early they rise, families can always use the House kitchen to prepare breakfast. The stocked cabinets have cereal and granola bars, which make great on-the-go meals for families spending mornings at appointments. Some parents make pancakes and eggs to feed their children before school. No matter the situation, families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Toronto can make a meal to fit their new routine.

As 9 a.m. rolls around, many parents leave for the hospital, and their children go to school in the classroom in Toronto’s House. The House established a school program in 2003 to respond to the academic needs of the children staying there. Children can participate in classes taught by a certified teacher and can maintain their academic standing, which helps them to feel a sense of normalcy while they are away from home.

Later in the morning, volunteers arrive at the House. They usually answer phones and greet guests in the front office, play games with children in the playroom or bake treats in the kitchen. Volunteers also help prepare vacated rooms for the next family in need. The Ronald McDonald House in Toronto has 28 rooms, and each one has its own design, such as the Wizard of Oz room and the Kit Kat candy bar room. Children who frequently stay at the House have found their favorite rooms and cross their fingers in hopes that their favorite will be available on their next visit.

As the morning continues, some parents return from the hospital to be with their other children during the school’s lunch break. Just like breakfast, families can prepare meals, such as a quick sandwich or oven pizza. After lunch, the children enjoy gym class.

Afternoon

When the volunteers finish preparing rooms for new families, the House volunteer coordinator checks in families. Today, one particular family, who had called every morning for 10 days to see if a room was available, finally gets good news. They take a tour of the House and are shown to their private bedroom.

As the school day continues, the child life specialist arrives and works with younger children. Like the Toronto school program, the child life program was developed to provide additional help to children coping with being away from home. The child life specialist helps children express their feelings through craft-making and one-on-one attention.

Mid-afternoon, a group of Toronto firefighters and police officers arrive with gifts. They collected donations of new toys for the House; they’ve been holding toy drives and supporting House special events for seven years. They visit the playroom where they see the kids’ expressions on their faces as they play with the new toys.

Evening

Around 4 p.m., more volunteers arrive with their arms full of baskets of food. Every night of the week, volunteers prepare dinner at the House so families have less to worry about. Because a lot of parents come back from the hospital for dinner, the evening gives everyone the chance to socialize. While some families prefer to sit by themselves, others enjoy gathering with the group to share their hopes and concerns.

After dinner, some families enjoy a movie night hosted by the dinner volunteers. Other families watch TV, play games, do crafts or just hang out in their rooms. Parents with children in the hospitals usually go for nightly walks and, at the House in Toronto, relax with massages from a volunteer massage therapist.

Night

The House settles down as most families head to their rooms around 9 p.m. They all have another full day ahead, but they rest easily and comfortably in their temporary home away from home.

Comments|(Hide)

No one has commented on this page yet.

  1. Comment on This Story

    1. Comment as a Guest

    *Required

    Max 1,000 Characters

    This is a security feature to protect your privacy and the site.

  2. 2. Comment through Facebook

    Use your Facebook account to log in and leave a comment that can be shared with your Facebook friends, too.