How You Can Help

Dinner is served in our third floor lounge. There are two kitchens in which your group can work. Buffet tables can be set up for your meal by request. Please feel free to use the bar that adjoins the kitchen to set up for food items. We request you bring plates, napkins, and cutlery with you. If you are not able to do so, please let us know ahead of time so we can provide those items. Our kitchens are fully stocked, and you are welcome to use whatever you may need in preparing your meal.

Tables and chairs are available on the deck outside for a picnic-style dinner, if the weather permits.

We ask that you stay and interact with our guests as well as clean up once dinner is finished. Please wipe off the stoves and the counters in the kitchen areas. If you have used any kitchenware, please place all of the items in our dishwasher and start the cycle. We are required by the local health department to wash everything in our dishwasher and not wash items by hand.

We have foil, disposable pans, and plastic storage containers for any leftovers. We ask that you label any leftover food as "help yourself" and place it in the help yourself refrigerator. Labels are provided. Some of our families are at the hospital during dinnertime, but they come back to the House later in the evening and are often hungry and very tired. Any leftovers from the dinner will not go to waste.

Styrofoam plates, cold drink cups, hot drink cups, plastic cutlery, drinks of any kind, and desserts of any kind are things we always need. We appreciate you bringing some or all of these supplies/food items when you come to prepare your meal for our families.

Although most groups prefer to prepare dinners on weeknights, meals for our families can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We are currently open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Weekday dinners are normally served at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., and weekend dinners are usually at 4 p.m. We can be flexible with dates and times to accommodate your group's schedule.

Visitors must have a key to gain access to the kitchens and lounges. We ask that the first person to arrive from your group stop by the administrative office to get a key to use while you are here preparing a meal. Please remember to return it when you leave.

There is a public restroom outside the lounge for use by members of your group while you are here, and restrooms are located on the first floor across from the elevators.

Please keep in mind that we have an average-sized kitchen in the event you have a large group planning to come. Try to limit your prep team and your cooks to 5 or 6 people. The other volunteers can be assigned to other duties such as entertainment, servers or the clean-up crew. You may want to stagger the times people are to arrive. We do have a piano in the lounge if any of your group plays, or feel free to bring other instruments and entertain our guests while they eat.

While you are here, feel free to join our guests in the lounges to share in food and / or conversation. Our guests enjoy the company and appreciate what your group or organization has done for them.