Not only do we provide comfort, resources, and things to bring a smile to your face at the houses, we have them at the hospitals as well!
Our Hospitality Cart program began with a conversation between Angela Cohen, Chief Operations Officer, and Kaycee Flora, Manager of Volunteer Services, back in 2019. They wanted to come up with a way to extend the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities beyond the doors of our homes and into the halls of our hospitals. Providing snack pack kits, coloring books, toys, and toiletry kits all on our vibrant house-shaped carts- The Hospitality Cart program was born!
On July 30th, 2020 the Hospitality Cart had its first home on the pediatrics floor at AdventHealth for Children hospital. Even with a worldwide pandemic happening, the Hospitality Cart was able to bring comfort and joy to the patients and patients’ families while they were at AdventHealth.
Our Hospitality Carts are a true extension of the comfort and care provided within our core program, the Ronald McDonald House. Many families with a child receiving medical care in our communities are staying at the bedside of their child day and night. While they may not need the full services provided by one of our three Houses, they benefit greatly from the compassion and warmth that our Hospitality Cart can bring. It delivers more than comfort kits and snacks; it provides a deeper connection to the families and knowledge that RMHCCF is there to support them as well.
Since 2020, we have grown our Hospitality Cart program by two! We now have a Hospitality Cart at Nemours Children’s Health and can take six totes of donations to the hospital of Orlando Health.
As of July 2022, we have had the privilege to serve over 6,000 families with this program. This would not be possible without our RMHCCF team members, volunteers, community supporters, and hospital partnerships!
What Angela and Kaycee have envisioned has come to life! If you are at any of the hospitals nearby our houses, you may be seeing the blue, vibrant cart rolling around the halls. You are not only making a difference in our homes but even in the lives of those at the hospital. If you would like more information about the Hospitality Cart or donate (https://www.rmhccf.org/hospitalitycart)
