The first Ronald McDonald House was established in 1974 as a “home-away-from-home for families of ill children”. The RMHC provides a variety of resources to these families, whether it be temporary housing, food, or basic dental and medical care. Over the years, the foundation has opened over 300 locations worldwide with local chapters in 52 countries and regions. As of 2011, the RMHC had raised over $200 million and services almost 9 million families every year.

Every quarter, Social Strategy1 pays a visit to the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, and participate in their ‘Meals That Heal’ program, creating a delicious lunch for these well-deserving families. This is a great way for the SS1 team to give back to those that might be going through a tough time.

On May 11th, 2015, the SS1 team participated in our second visit to the Ronald McDonald House. Below are a few pictures to chronicle our adventure with this awesome organization!

On the Menu:
• Entrée: Choice of Chicken a la King served over Rice or Hot Dogs
• Side: Salad – Greens with various toppings
• Dessert: Choice of Strawberry Cheesecake or Chocolate Pudding Shooters

We’ve arrived at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas!

Ingredients for the Entrée

Ingredients for the Dessert

The team is ready to start cooking!

Dennis is on chicken duty

Looks like Ray has the salad under control

The dessert assembly line is underway!

Almost finished preparing the meal

Ready to serve the masses!

The SS1 team had a great time serving the wonderful people at the Ronald McDonald house! When asked what each employee’s favorite part was, they said this —
Dennis Stoutenburgh (President, Co-Founder): “Giving back to such a worthwhile cause with our incredible staff is the primary thing I always take away from our service days.”
Katherine Sherrie (Social Engagement Manager): “Volunteering with the Ronald McDonald House was a wonderful way to contribute to a needy community-based organization while also enjoying some great team building time with the Social Strategy1 staff. Whether it was competing in a hot dog cook-off, or uniting to create 80 individual dessert shooters on a production line, I felt very proud watching the SS1 team come together to help others, while also having a truckload of fun.”
Kathleen Buehler (Operations Manager, White Box): “The best part of serving at Ronald McDonald House is watching the smiling faces of the children and families that are served by RMH Dallas every day…It is a wonderful way to both bond as a team and give back to our community.”
Larry Hill (SVP, Information Systems): “My favorite part of the experience was to continue to learn the extent that Ronald McDonald House assists families. On this trip I was told a story about a family that had been there for 6 months while their young daughter was being fitted for prosthetic limbs. They were from a foreign country, did not speak our language, and were not used to our food. The staff at Ronald McDonald house understood their needs and helped them adjust to our customs and be comfortable during this long challenging stay. This particular family is preparing to leave and go back home, I am sure with great appreciation for assistance they received by Ronald McDonald House.”

Rachel Hargrove (Social Marketing Manager): “I enjoy helping out people in our community and joking around with my awesome coworkers outside of the office!”
Rachel Sheehy (Social Media Strategy Analyst): “I love working as a team to serve the people at Ronald McDonald house and hopefully bring a smile to their faces with great desserts!”
Siera Rejcek (Social Media Strategy Analyst): “I enjoy getting to work as a team and being able to cook for the wonderful families at the Ronald McDonald House!”
We can’t wait to go back to the Ronald McDonald House!

You can learn more about the history of the RMHC here.