Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. We have many volunteer opportunities to suit your schedule and preferences, whether serving as a House Volunteer, a Teen Volunteer, working with our Meal Program or working as a Special Event or Speaker's Bureau Volunteer. Be sure to check out our featured volunteer profile! We also have many opportunities for groups to do projects, please contact the Houses directly for a list of available projects.

Tampa House - located on Davis Islands - contact Maggie Somerville at (813) 254-2398, ext. 317
St. Pete East, West & Central Houses near ACH - contact Lise Fields at (727) 767-8166.

House Volunteers

Trained volunteers are an integral part of the Ronald McDonald House program. Volunteers are needed on an ongoing basis every day of the week for these shifts:

Volunteers register and check out families, answer telephones, give House tours and assist in the day-to-day operation of the House by helping where needed.

Volunteers must have the ability to relate to children and adults. A primary quality is the ability to be a good, understanding listener as parents may need to share the burden of their child’s hospitalization. Good telephone and organizational skills are important. We have a great need for volunteers who speak Spanish.

Volunteers must have their own transportation. Adult singles or couples are welcome. Volunteers are needed for arts & crafts, house decorating and those with special skills such as hair styling or massage therapy.

Time Commitment

A minimum of two four-hour shifts per month is requested as outlined above. Orientation is held monthly.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Housewarmer - St. Pete Houses

Housewarmer volunteers assist the families and make them feel welcome, help keep the kitchen and dining areas clean and keep a watchful eye on activities around the house. Other duties include light housekeeping, such as straightening the common rooms and tidying the kitchen, assist groups preparing and serving meals and provide a listening ear for the parents who have a need for someone to share the burden of their child's hospitalization.

Time Commitment

Flexible scheduling in the morning or around meal times seven days a week; there is no minimum monthly time commitment.

Teen Programs

The St. Petersburg houses are designated Service Learning sites. High school students work alongside staff restocking pantries, storing donations, and performing light housekeeping and light yard work. They also facilitate children’s activities and make treats in our kitchens for the families.

• Teens must be at least 15 years old.
• The summer program begins shortly after school lets out for the summer and continues as the teen’s schedule allows during the school year.
• The application process begins in March with a tour for the parents and teen. The application can be completed and guidelines signed at that time. Bright Futures scholarship applications need to be signed off by staff and the school counselor before beginning the program.
• After an orientation, teens schedule a 3-hour shift from 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm (weekdays only).
• The Teen Cuisine program offers service hours for providing a home-cooked meal for the West House families.
• See a profile of an outstanding teen below

Contact Lise Fields in St. Pete by email or call 727-767-8166.
For Tampa, email Maggie Somerville or call 813-254-2398, ext. 317.
For teens under age 15 or for additional ways you can help, here is an Activity List. Top

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
ST. PETE STUDENT GUIDELINES
ST. PETE TEEN PROGRAM FLYER - Overview
TAMPA STUDENT GUIDELINES

RED SHOE COUNCIL

The Red Shoe Council consists of young and mid-professionals who live and work in the Tampa Bay area. The goal of the group is to raise community awareness and operating funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay. Visit the Red Shoe Council page here.

Ideas for Kids

Here is a list of activities and ways for kids to help Ronald McDonald House.

See four-year old Eugene talk about collecting 14,000 pop tabs!

Meal Program

Our meal guidelines have recently changed. Please be sure to review the Prepare a Meal guidelines for each house.

Create a casserole supper in our kitchens, use our gas grill, order in pizza, make breakfast, stew, soup or chili. After your hard work, we encourage you to serve the meal yourself or dine with our families after your “chef” work. Members from local civic clubs, churches and area businesses love this fun and creative “teambuilding” effort!

Fresh Meat & Dairy Sponsor – help fund weekly bulk deliveries of fresh beef and chicken for the children and new mothers who need the nutrition.

Hold a Pantry Drive – collect canned goods, paper products, cleaning and other household supplies - we’ve got 80 bedrooms, 84 bathrooms & five kitchens!

Prepare a Meal Program/St. Pete
Prepare a Meal Program/Tampa
St. Pete Central House Prepare a Meal Program

Tampa Meal Coordinator
Tampa Meal Calendar (last name Tampa, password - meal)

St. Pete Meal Coordinator

Other Ways To Volunteer

Individuals or groups are needed to assist in planning and working special events. If your organization enjoys working together on events or if you would like to organize your own event to benefit our families, please contact us for more information. Our three main events each year are the Fishing Tournament in October, Charity Golf Classic in November and the Storybook Ball in the Spring.

Teen Volunteer Profile - Maria Daniela Thurber

Maria Daniela Thurber completed over 100 hours of volunteer service at Ronald McDonald House between December 2011 and December 2012. This is commendable because she is an honor student who is dual enrolled at Allendale Academy and St. Petersburg College. She is also an officer or member of several student organizations. Dani assisted our operations staff with household projects, she cooked meals and treats for the families and put together arts and crafts projects for kids in the House. She is the leader of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society who cooks dinner monthly for families staying at the West House.

Dani is the volunteer coordinator and chair for Phi Theta Kappa’s work with Junior Achievement. With Junior Achievement, Maria volunteers in elementary schools to plan and coordinate events, hold training sessions and organize other activities. For spring break, she coordinated a week-long event where every day her team volunteered at a different school. That initiative went hand in hand with a world-wide initiative that inspires college students to volunteer their time during spring break. For her work with Junior Achievement and Mentoring Midtown (a tutoring program for children in the Boys and Girls Club), Phi Theta Kappa won an award at the regional convention for Most Distinguished Chapter in the Florida Region. Dani is also a teacher’s assistant in elementary schools helping in art, music and physical education classes, as well as reading in English and Spanish in dual-language classes. She serves as Education Advocate for the Relay for Life and has planned the fundraising event for this year.

All of this as a high school senior! She is a shining example of what can be accomplished when one is focused and motivated and willing to face head on and work to overcome life's obstacles.

Volunteer Profile - Melanie McCarthy

Melanie McCarthy came to RMH as a volunteer after she participated in a Franklin Templeton dinner for the families at the East House that I hosted when I was still employed with them.  Melanie started volunteering at the West House and still volunteers there but is also a Weekend Manager and volunteer at the Central House.  She has organized meals for the house, collected critical needs pantry items, applied for donation money through Franklin Templeton, initially winning $1K for RMH and recently was selected as the winner of $10,000 to donate to her favorite charity, Ronald McDonald House!  Melanie also picks up Publix bakery donations weekly as well.  She is an incredible asset to the Central House.     

Volunteer Profile - TUCKER, DOG THERAPIST - R.I.P.

Editor's note - September 4, 2012 - it is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved lead dog therapist, Tucker, who passed away at the end of August. Our deepest condolences to Kathleen Johnson Easterly on this enormous loss.

Here is a feature on Tucker from our Fall 2011 Newsletter.

Hello - my name is Tucker, and I am a dog therapist. My human, Kathleen Johnson-Esterly, puts a badge on me that says Dog Therapy, so I feel qualified in saying I am a therapist.
As you can see, I am a Welsh Springer Spaniel. I have been visiting families at RMH for five years, (or fifteen years in dog years.) I also visit sick kids at All Children's Hospital, and make special appearances at the public library and community events.

As a therapist, I have to be an extremely good listener. The kids like to read to me, snuggle with me and play with my soft long ears. I have learned to be calm around them, because they scare easily.
In 2008 I was honored to be named a Yerrid's Hero during the Tampa Bay Fights Cancer hockey game. They even gave me a special dog jersey...that was amazing! Now that I'm a celebrity, I have created my own special photo to leave with the kids so they can remember me after our visit. I really love my job; it makes me happy all over.
Kathleen keeps me very busy. She tells me she is now in charge of the volunteer Dog Therapy program for RMH. I guess that makes me the Head Dog - I'm up to the challenge!

Rrrrruff! ... Tucker, D.T. (Dog Therapist)

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