Quest volunteers recently served lunch to children and families battling pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses at Ronald McDonald House New York, in collaboration with Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) and Sesame Workshop.
“On behalf of our entire community, our heartfelt gratitude for spending time with our families,” said Colleen Lee, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Ronald McDonald House New York. “Your team had such a warm spirit and presence. It was our pleasure to have you with us.”
Ronald McDonald House New York, “the House,” has supported more than 59,000 families since 1979. Families who are seeking the world’s best treatment programs for cancer and other pediatric illnesses are welcomed at the impressive facility located on East 73rd Street, complete with family living quarters, imaginative activity spaces, caretaker accommodations, and shared dining spaces.
“I wanted to volunteer at the House because I value their mission of supporting families whose children have cancer or other conditions,” said Ilene Rothblat, Sr. QMS Program Manager. “We lost my brother to cancer when he was 9 years old, and I know the impact that has on a family.”
The volunteers served lunch the day before Halloween and the House was decorated based on the beloved children’s board game, Candyland.
East Region volunteers also hauled more than 25 pounds of aluminum can tabs to the House. The organization works with a local recycler to redeem can tabs for money that helps provide services for the families staying at the House. The tabs came from Clifton, Norristown, and Baltimore labs. For scale: one pound equals approximately 1,000 tabs!
To continue the excitement for the families, the Q4HE team arranged for a special guest appearance later that evening – Super Grover – thanks to a collaboration with Sesame Workshop. The global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop is one of the organizations that Q4HE collaborates with across many sectors to drive change and empower better health in underserved communities.
“I volunteered to help the House because of the feeling of fulfillment I get for helping others,” said Natasha Nunez, CSR ll/ Paramedical Examiner with ExamOne. “The best part of working with this program was seeing the smiles and happiness of the children and the parents.”
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