August 10, 2011
If you think you need to be a Master Chef to make a group of
parents and children eager to dig into their food, think again.
Photo gallery
There’s not much that compares with the satisfaction of
preparing a good home-cooked meal, especially when you know it’s
about to be enjoyed by the families of seriously ill children being
treated at local hospitals and other medical facilities. Just ask
the young alumni who recently volunteered to cook for the more than
100 residents of the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island.
“My fellow alumni and I greatly enjoyed the
opportunity to cook for the families,” said Elisa Douglas ’05C,
Assistant Director, Alumni Relations. “As we cooked, many
residents watched in anticipation of the meal that was to
come. They were so happy to partake of the brunch that we
worked together as a team to prepare.”
Serving the needs of others in real and
practical ways has always been at the heart of St. John’s
University’s unique Vincentian mission. Students are immersed in
the importance of a commitment to service throughout their time on
campus, and so it is not surprising that, even after graduation,
many alumni continue to make it an important part of their
lives.
For the recent graduates who stood behind the
stoves of Ronald McDonald House, this service opportunity allowed
them to add a generous helping of love as the special ingredient to
an already tasty brunch.
“As a group, we reflected on what a difference
a home-cooked meal and welcoming presence can make for others,”
noted Douglas. “It was a very humbling experience for us to
realize how much people can help each other with even the smallest
measure of kindness.”
There are over 131 Ronald McDonald Houses
throughout the United States and another 30 in countries around the
world. They offer comfortable living accommodations for families
who wish to remain close to their children while they are
undergoing intensive medical care for serious, often
life-threatening conditions.