FAMILY DINNERS PROGRAMMeal Preparation and Serving Guidelines
Thank you for sharing your hospitality and good food with our Guest Families! Due to health and privacy issues for our guests, we have some very important guidelines that we ask you to be aware of:
1. Dinner is served at 6:00. Please prepare food for approximately 40-50 servings. Our House provides rooms for up to 38 families, which may include siblings or other family members as well.
2. Because many of the children at the House are unable to fight off infections, we are very concerned about health standards. Due to health issues of our guests, the dinner program is limited to adults only. We recommend 4-8 adults to cook, serve and clean up. If you have a cold, flu or any other communicable illness, please do not participate.
3. Wash your hands often - especially before preparing any food Ð while serving food Ð and whenever else it is needed. There is a soap dispenser on the wall along with paper toweling for drying your hands. For safety reasons ALL MEAT MUST BE FULLY COOKED PRIOR TO BEING BROUGHT TO RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE.
4. Please clean up both kitchens and dining areas after everyone is through eating.
- Kitchens - stoves, counter tops, dishes used for serving the meals, pot and pans used for preparing the meals etc.
- Wipe up anything spilled on the floors (kitchen and dining areas).
- Dining rooms - placemats, tables, and seats of chairs must be wiped off after the meal is done.
5. Keep it simple - remember that children as well as adults will be attending your dinner.
6. Please respect the privacy of the guests at the House.
7. Your group is responsible for:
- Providing and preparing the food for each meal you are serving
- Food preparation should be done as much as possible prior to bringing it to the House. It can be warmed up in either the stove or microwave ovens at the House.
- Put all equipment used (cooking utensils, warming trays, etc.) back in the cupboard from which they were taken.
- If pots and pans from other kitchens were used these items must be put back in those kitchens. These items are used by the Families and must be available to them.
- Tablecloths for the banquet tables, dishcloths and towels should be put in the laundry basket located in the Dinner supply room and given to the manager on duty.
- Ask the manager to announce that the meal is now being served. Some of the guests may already be in the dining room area but the announcement needs to be made for those still in their rooms.
- Once the meal has been served, please allow our families privacy. Keep an eye on the food and put more out if needed and available. If any of the guests appear to need help carrying their food to the tables, offer to assist them.
- Due to medical reasons a guest may request to go through the line before anyone else. Please make this accommodation.
- Be sure to allow the guests to use the kitchens if they prefer to make their own meals. There may be special dietary needs involved for someone in their family.
- Any food leftovers should be wrapped, and labeled for "General Use" with the "date" by someone in your group. The manager on duty will make sure to put signs out to let our Guest Families know that there are available leftovers to be eaten.
Our "recipe" would not be successful without one key "ingredient" and that is YOU with your kindness and support!