What is the Ronald McDonald House?
According to the River Journal, "The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley (RMHGHV) opened in Valhalla in 2011 with the mission of ensuring that families of sick or injured children are able to stay close to each other and to the care and resources they require. Since opening its doors, the RMHGHV has been a home away from home for more than 2,000 families that have a child receiving lifesaving medical care in an area hospital. With its 12 hotel style guest rooms, a welcoming family and playroom along with a huge kitchen, well stocked pantry and two hot meals a day, the staff strives to ensure families are taken care of in every possible way."
Our work with the River Journal and the Ronald McDonald House
As part of our mission to "Do Dam Good™ in our community and the world at large," in December, 2021, we joined forces with the River Journal when they "had an opportunity to prepare a meal in the newly renovated kitchen as part of the Meals that Heal Program" at The Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley - located at the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, NY.
Through the Meals that Heal Program, individuals, community groups and local restaurants can provide meals, on a donation basis, to the families staying at the RMHGHV. Not only are the meals nourishing, but they also provide a semblance of normalcy during a stressful time and give residents a chance to relax and unwind over a warm meal."
The River Journal team prepared a classic meatloaf dinner with sides, accompanied by our toasted vegan sourdough English muffins, and rainbow cupcakes donated from Baked by Susan for dessert.
To learn more about the event check out the article, "When Cooking a Meal Means So Much More than Preparing Dinner" by Alisa Dror.
For more information, or to sign up to volunteer to cook a meal as part of the Meals that Heal program, click here.
Our Partnership with the Ronald McDonald House
This same day that we collaborated with the River Journal was also the same day that marked the beginning Dam Good™ English Muffins' partnership with the Ronald McDonald House of the Hudson Valley. Since then, we've been stocking the refrigerator in their kitchen with our sourdough English muffins for their guests to enjoy.
Pictured here is Denise (owner) and Olivia Weale (operations manager) dropping off Dam Good™ English Muffins' first donation for their pantry.
Volunteering with the Meals that Heal Program
Since we really enjoyed participating in the Meals that Heal program with the River Journal, we signed up to volunteer to make our own meal for the guests. So, in July, Ty (head baker), Ross (co-founder) and I (Olivia, operations manager) prepared a brunch for the guests using our vegan sourdough English muffins!
In addition to being delicious, we find sourdough English muffin breakfast casseroles to be a great way to get a hearty breakfast when you're in a pinch - they provide protein and carbohydrates in an all-in-one bite. That said, we made an assortment of English muffin breakfast casseroles, all served with a side of fresh fruit:
- English Muffin French Toast Casserole
- English Muffin Sausage Egg and Cheese Casserole
- Plant-Based Sausage Egg and Cheese English Muffin Casserole
Check out these photos below to us in action:
