Whether you’re age five or 75, there’s an opportunity for you to help visiting families of seriously ill children feel right at home in St. Louis. Click through the opportunities below to find one that matches your personality and skillset.
Our ongoing volunteers are the heart of Ronald McDonald House St. Louis. Our warmest thanks for your interest in regularly giving your time and energy to directly support the families of seriously ill children. Our ongoing volunteers maintain a set schedule of 3-hour shifts weekly or bi-weekly.
If you are interested in volunteering with RMH St. Louis, please review the volunteer opportunities and apply. We will contact you for our next information session.
Our 72-room Grove House needs three different volunteer roles to keep it running smoothly. Click the link below, choose to volunteer at the Grove House, and then select your desired role or roles.
Hospitality volunteers, you’ll be the first face families see as you welcome them and support front desk tasks.
Around-the-house volunteers, you’ll help restock and keep community spaces fresh and inviting for our families.
Culinary team volunteers, you get to prepare family meals and stock grab-and-go items.
West County House Volunteers serve as a warm, welcoming presence for guest families. Your duties will include greeting guests, answering phone calls, giving tours, stocking pantry items and maintaining clean, comfortable common areas to give parents a consistent home-away-from-home experience.
Stationed directly inside local pediatric hospitals, Family Room Volunteers manage our in-hospital retreat spaces. You will welcome visiting parents, keep coffee and snacks fully stocked and sanitize seating areas. Most importantly, you’ll offer a quiet, compassionate ear for anyone who needs you to simply listen to their story.
Shuttle driver volunteers help remove transportation stress by providing safe, reliable rides for guest families traveling between our Houses and local medical centers. You’ll use our Ronald McDonald House vehicles to help parents arrive on time for crucial medical appointments without worrying about city navigation or parking.
Bring a group to prepare a meal at one of our Houses or help with house cleaning or yard maintenance. For ages 16+ (with adult supervision), these weekday projects (9 a.m.–4 p.m.) last 2–3 hours and suit groups up to 10.
Your group can provide the comforts of home by preparing a dinner or weekend breakfast for guest families at either house.
The Grove House
Groups of up to 10 financially cover food costs, then join our on-staff professional chef in the House’s commercial kitchen to cook, assemble and serve a fresh, delicious dinner for up to 72 guest families so they don’t have to spend mental energy cooking for themselves.
The West County House
Groups of up to 10 plan the meal, bring their own ingredients, cook together in the House’s residential style-kitchen and serve a warm, home-cooked meal that offers physical comfort to families returning from a long, emotional day at the hospital.
Beyond ongoing and group opportunities, there are even more ways you give your time to support our families, from helping at fundraising events to getting your kids involved or becoming part of our young professional network.
If you love helping out at fundraising events, Ronald McDonald House St. Louis can use you! Spend a day out on the greens at one of our golf tournaments, help spot numbers during a live auction or celebrate our little recyclers during our Tab Top Pandemonium knowing that you’re playing a pivotal role in supporting our visiting families.
We encourage compassionate youth volunteers under the age of 18 to support hospitalized children and their families through creative, accessible service projects. Young supporters can collect aluminum tab tops, host wish-list drives for essential House supplies or assemble snack and activity kits, giving youth of all ages a direct, meaningful way to bring joy and hope to our families.
Here are some of the ways young volunteers can help:
Collect coins
A dime here. A quarter there. Your small change can make a big difference! Collect loose change and donate the funds to help our guest families!
Recycle
Aluminum tab tops, old keys and electronics can all be recycled and turned into a monetary donation to RMHC! Learn more about recycling.
Collect Wish List items
We rely on donations of everyday household items to operate our Houses and Family Rooms. We have several Amazon Wish Lists to make it easy!
Donate new toys
Help make our Houses and Family Rooms feel like home to seriously ill children and their siblings by donating new, unwrapped toys for all ages.
Host a fundraiser
Whether it’s a lemonade stand or garage sale, hosting a fundraiser on behalf of Ronald McDonald House St. Louis is a great way to help.
Get your school involved
Spread awareness of Ronald McDonald House programs at your school by letting teachers and staff know about the ways kids can help families of seriously ill children.
Prepare a meal
Children ages 12+ can help cook meals for our guest families with the help of adult chaperones.
Get creative
Show off your arts-and-crafts skills by creating cards, blankets, care packages or other heartfelt items for our guest families!
Help at the holidays
Donate new, unwrapped items to our McGift Shoppe, where RMHC families can shop for loved ones free-of-charge each December.
Connect with a compassionate community of young professionals dedicated to making a difference for pediatric patients and their loved ones. The Red Shoe Society hosts special fundraisers, plans community events and cooks meals for our guests, combining network building with heartfelt service.
At our Houses, you may see families during your shift, but every day looks different. Families stay with us so their child can receive medical care, and that care always comes first. Some families leave early and return late. Others stop by for a quick meal or a nap before heading back to the hospital. Some are soaking up precious time with siblings visiting for the weekend.
In our Family Rooms, located inside area hospitals, you'll be directly supporting the parents and loved ones caring for a hospitalized child. Since children are receiving inpatient care, you likely won't spend much time with them directly. Instead, your care for their families helps them stay strong and close by.
Wherever you volunteer, a warm smile and a simple hello mean so much. Let families lead any conversation and know that whatever kind of time they need with you is exactly right.
There’s a way for almost every age to help!
Younger helpers can make a big difference too, through our kids helping kid’s opportunities.
These age guidelines help us keep each space calm and restful for families and their children.
On-site group opportunities welcome up to 10 volunteers. Keeping groups small helps our Houses stay calm and restful for families, who are often coming back from long days at the hospital.
We want you to feel prepared and confident from day one. Here’s what to expect:
Family Room volunteers will also complete our hospital partner’s volunteer process before beginning Ronald McDonald House training.
Thank you for considering volunteering. If you’re also interested in giving or helping us raise money, we have many ways to do that, too!