It’s alway nice to catch up with your mom friends over a Mom’s Night Out (MNO). To change things up, I suggest grabbing your girls and volunteering to help out families dealing with medical emergencies at Ronald McDonald House.
Most of the time, we think of an MNO as a reason to get of the house and recharge our batteries with women who understand what we’re going through.We eat, drink, laugh, and commiserate. This me-time is definitely important, but what if the recharge we need is for our soul?
Finding charitable ways to give back to the community is a great way to both give back and fill your emotional bank account with much needed rewards. It feels good to help others, and getting together to do something good with like-minded women uplifts your spirit.
Ronald McDonald House is a nation-wide 501c nonprofit organization. It strives to help families dealing with children’s medical treatments. They provide low-cost, temporary housing close to our excellent valley pediatric centers. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona has three houses located in the metropolitan area.
Your group can sign up for a one-time meal shift preparing a meal in their beautiful state-of-art kitchens. As these traveling families are busy caring for their little ones, you can make their stay more comfortable with home cooked food.
Last month, I grabbed three former co-workers (and fellow moms) to fill in for an emergency shift at the Roanoke location. We planned out an easy meal (chili, cornbread, fruit, and brownies) and got to work preparing Sunday dinner.
Each of us took on an element of the menu and got to work around 4:30 pm that afternoon. The industrial kitchen made it easy to prepare a meal for the 50 or so moms, dads, and kids we served. Dinner was served promptly at 6 with us cleaned up and out around 7 pm.
Serving the meal was a wonderful experience. We met families and educated ourselves on the issues and challenges facing them. Participation is powerful and quite humbling. Being a mom is always hard work, and cooking for these very appreciative families helps remind you to count your blessings.
I highly suggest finding a chance to help out this or another charity with your girl squad. Your Mom’s Night Out is a chance for you to remember who you are – a person who knows how good it feels to give. To book an evening, visit the RMDH website to find an available date.
