Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Kellogg Company are teaming up to help provide families staying at Ronald McDonald House locations with breakfast. As part of a multi-year initiative, Kellogg is providing cereal to 144 locations throughout the United States.
Tony the Tiger joined Wendy Davidson, president of Kellogg’s Away From Home business, and Sheila Musolino, president and CEO of RMHC, to kick off the in-kind charitable donor program at the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
The program will provide cereal for 100,000 meals and snacks annually to RMHC families while their children are receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital. During their visits, families spend their time going back and forth to the hospital, making mealtime challenging.
“We are proud to play a part in bringing our brands to the families staying at Ronald McDonald House locations for years to come,” Davidson said. “Together, we can provide a taste of home and help families ease the burden during a stressful time when there is little time to eat. We know many RMHC Chapters are also experiencing challenges to volunteer programs and cancellation of fundraising events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so this partnership is more critical than ever.”
The Kellogg cereal donation to RMHC is a natural extension of Kellogg’s Better Days program, which supports hunger relief and ensures families get access to nutrition. The program partners with organizations to support communities worldwide and has donated more than 2.5 billion servings of food globally to people in need since 2015 and nearly $17 million in food and funds to global COVID-19 hunger relief efforts.
“Kellogg’s Away From Home and RMHC share a commitment to providing resources and support to families around the world, so they can stay near their child during treatment for an illness or injury at a nearby hospital, often in a city far from home,” Musolino said. “We are thankful our partners at Kellogg can help us provide families a healthy start to their day with a complimentary breakfast.”
In 2019 RMHC provided more than 2.6 million overnight stays to families with sick children, saving them over $935 million in meals and lodging costs. With dedicated support from nearly 490,000 volunteers, RMHC programs provide access to quality healthcare and ensure families are fully supported and actively involved in their children’s care.
