Cooking dinner at RMH -- Streeterville

posted December 17, 2012 1:07 PM

EDIT: We got sniped on the date by some other do-gooders! Let's reassess after we do it at Hyde Park.

RMH dinner 2: Let's get together and cook dinner for sick kids and their families at the Streeterville Ronald McDonald House (211 East Grand, Chicago, IL) on Thursday, 4/11/13 starting around 5:00pm and finishing around 9:00pm.

This is proposed RMH dinner number 2. The other one is proposal number 1. We can do both -- they're about a month apart. Or come to the one that works for you.

So this is still a proposed event because I need some confirmation that other volunteers will come to this specific event before I send a note to the volunteer coordinator at RMH -- Streeterville that we will be coming.

Streeterville RMH asks that we have no more than 20 people, and I'd ask that we have no fewer than 8. As soon as 8 people are definitely coming, than I'll convert this to a confirmed event.

At Streeterville, they ask us to cook for 70 people plus the group of us that comes, and to have dinner ready around 6:30. They are also interested in groups setting up an activity program for families, with suggestions like arts and crafts / baking / story time, yoga, games, or whatever we come up with. This is not mandatory. There are other suggestions of activities to do here.

For those that haven't done this before -- they have kitchens in the houses that are well stocked with standard kitchen ware and utensils and tools. We will bring the food along for cooking. Streeterville has a lot of standard spices, so only worry about them if your dish has something uncommon in it. They're happy with us cooking whatever menu that we'd like, but to remember that we're cooking for a variety of people with a variety of tastes, so multiple dishes work better than one giant pot of stew so that everyone will be able to eat. So, what do you want to make (yourself, or as a suggestion for the group menu). Please do make suggestions, otherwise I'll accidently come up with something that's a lot of work for everyone like pierogi from scratch.

They have fridges that we can store food in ahead of time since this will probably be an immediately after work sort of event for us. After we get our menu planned and volunteers picked, I can help coordinate getting food there directly instead of trying to figure out how to keep eggs cold at your cubicles.

posted by garlic to Proposed (13 comments total)

I'm in. I'll offer some food suggestions closer in time.
posted by crush-onastick at 1:22 PM on December 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

I don't know if this one would be feasible for me due to puppy, but now this way it'll show up in my recent activity. Woooooooooooooo.
posted by phunniemee at 1:45 PM on December 17, 2012

It is perfectly acceptable if we have enough people for some to leave early or get there late.
posted by garlic at 1:50 PM on December 17, 2012

In. I know a family who stayed at a Ronald McDonald House, so I can get suggestions from them closer to the date.
posted by eamondaly at 7:31 PM on December 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

It looks like I can make this one. Count me in. I'll update if anything changes.
posted by lholladay at 12:07 AM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm a maybe for this one - it's closer to my office, but I usually work until at least 5:30. I'll probably have to wait until mid-March when I know my deadlines for April to fully commit (I usually have something due on or around the 11th of the month).
posted by youngergirl44 at 6:21 AM on December 18, 2012

Now that I'm thinking about it - how does the activity thing work? Like there would be activities while cooking is going on to occupy people before dinner? During or after? Because I have tons of craft supplies and might be able to contribute in that fashion, if my schedule won't allow for cooking.
posted by youngergirl44 at 6:44 AM on December 18, 2012

I have found that when I've cooked at 2 different RMH's in the area, few guests show up until pretty near the scheduled dinner time. The activity would theoretically have it's own schedule and can start when it's convenient for us to start it.
posted by garlic at 8:04 AM on December 18, 2012

Count me in for this one as well.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:35 AM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

My work conference is 4/6-10 and there's no way I can commit Y or N to this until last minute. I'll have to go with N for now. Sorry guys!
posted by misskaz at 6:59 AM on December 19, 2012

I'd love to do this, but by that point of the year, I'll be travelling much of the week most weeks. So like kaz, can't confirm until short notice, and have to say no for right now.
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 9:53 AM on January 2

Since Bevos missed the edit, others might as well -- this date is kaput due to some other do-gooders stealing the date from us.
posted by garlic at 2:20 PM on January 2

Damn those helping not-us hands.

(Thanks for the update. I missed it too.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:09 PM on January 2