Come cook breakfast, lunch, or dinner for families when they need it most. Every plate is full of more than just food, but comfort, compassion, and connection.
You’re not just making a meal, you’re making a real difference to families who are facing one of the hardest moments of their lives by offering them strength, stability, and a full stomach.
of meals provided, giving families one less thing to worry about as they stay close to their child.
served with care, creating moments for families to rest, reconnect, and stay strong during treatment.
snacks prepared, helping families stay fuelled and focused at the hospital.
After a long day at the hospital, the last thing a family wants to think about is what’s for their next meal. That’s where your team comes in.
Through Meals From the Heart, corporate and community groups step into our kitchen alongside Chef Gabe to prepare and serve a warm, nutritious meal for the families staying with us. Chef Gabe takes care of the menu and ingredients, all you bring is your colleagues, clients, friends, or family. Your experience begins with a warm welcome and a guided tour before heading into the kitchen together.
It’s a hands-on, memorable experience that’s as meaningful for your group as it is for the families you’re supporting.
7am – 10am
10 – 12
10am – 1pm
4 – 6
3pm – 7:30pm
10 – 12
Our Volunteer-Led Program brings Meals From the Heart beyond Vancouver, giving smaller groups in Surrey, Kamloops, and Prince George the opportunity to step into their local Family Room and make a real difference close to home. With shorter time commitments and groups of just four to six people, it’s an accessible and meaningful way to get involved.
Your experience begins with a warm welcome and a guided tour of our Family Room. From there, you’ll head into the kitchen to prepare comforting, home-style dishes like lasagna, chili, cookies, and banana bread for families to help themselves to throughout the day, and we supply all the ingredients.
It’s a chance to show up for families right in your own community.
10am – 12pm or
11am – 1pm
10am – 12pm or
11am – 1pm
10am – 12pm or
11am – 1pm
Our Chef-Led Program was designed to make participation as easy and meaningful as possible — for your group and for the families we serve. With Chef Gabe managing the menu and ingredients, your team can focus entirely on the experience. Centralized grocery purchasing also allows us to maintain the highest food safety and quality standards, reduce waste, and offer diverse, culturally inclusive menus that reflect the many families who call our House home. Think of it as a cooking class that gives back.
Yes — a House Engagement Fee is required to participate in Meals From the Heart. If budget is a barrier, you’re welcome to set up an online fundraising page to cover the cost instead. Please note that families who have previously stayed with us participate at no charge, and Ronald McDonald House Canada National Mission Partners receive discounted or waived fees.
Your House Engagement Fee covers the cost of groceries for your meal, which feeds an average of 150 people. It also supports the coordination, time, and resources that go into ensuring your group has an excellent experience, and that families have access to fresh, nourishing, and diverse meals every day.
Absolutely! Setting up an online fundraising page is a great way to collect donations from friends, family, and colleagues before your visit. You can also host a bake sale, trivia night, or any other creative event to raise the funds. However you do it, you’re doing more than covering a fee, you’re helping ensure families have one less thing to worry about.
Yes — your House Engagement Fee is fully tax-deductible and you will receive a receipt for your records
Chef Gabe plans menus weeks in advance, but he’s always happy to hear your ideas. If there’s a particular dish your group would love to make, reach out and we’ll do our best to incorporate it. Our priority is always the families we serve, so final menu decisions will be made with their needs in mind.
Our menus change regularly to reflect the diverse families who call our House home. From quiches to quesadillas and curries to cannelloni, Chef Gabe curates a wide variety of elevated comfort food using seasonal, quality ingredients, and he’ll provide everything you need to bring it to life.
We always do our best to make sure your group gets to enjoy the meal you’ve prepared. Families are served first, and once service wraps up our Food Services Coordinator will let your team lead know when it’s time to grab a plate. Dinner groups are welcome to sit together in the kitchen or courtyard to enjoy the meal. For breakfast and lunch groups, we can’t always guarantee there will be enough food for everyone, so please plan accordingly.
Any leftover food is packaged up after service and placed in our shared fridges for families to help themselves to. Chef Gabe will also repurpose ingredients to create additional meals, so nothing goes to waste.
Absolutely — we love seeing your group in action! Feel free to share your experience and tag us at @ronaldmcdonaldhousebcy. Out of respect for our families’ privacy, please refrain from taking photos or videos of any families or children in the House
Due to high demand, we’re happy to hold your preferred date for one week. If we haven’t received your House Engagement Fee within that time, the date will be released to another group.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our House, Meals From the Heart is open to volunteers aged 18 and up only.
We understand that plans can change. You may reschedule your Meal from the Heart session up to one month (30 days) before your planned event date.
A few important things to keep in mind:
Families rely on Meals From the Heart every single day. Last-minute cancellations place significant strain on our team and can cost the organization over $2,500 to find alternative solutions, which is why consistent bookings are so important to us.
We’re so grateful for every group that shows up for our families. If Meals From the Heart isn’t the right fit, consider putting together Grab N Go Bags or Welcome Bags for families, filled with pre-packaged snacks and toiletries. These small gestures mean a lot to families navigating an incredibly difficult time. Get in touch to learn more.
Their support helps keep families at the heart of their child’s care and in their child’s fight.
Through Meals from the Heart, Adopt-a-Room support, and the Centra Cares Charity Golf Tournament, Centra helps provide comfort, care, and a home away from home for families staying close to treatment.
CIBC teams join us at least six times each year to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner for families staying at Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon, often bringing clients alongside them to give back together.
Since 2024, Southern Italian Lunch Club has prepared seven family dinners at Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon, with five more planned by the end of 2026, sharing food, music, and connection with families.
Different branches of RBC come together to cook every year – from PH&N, to Corporate Client teams, and Private Banking, it’s become a beloved tradition for their employees.
For more than a decade, Save-On-Foods has helped keep families nourished and supported through grocery donations and community campaigns like Light the House, bringing comfort and convenience during difficult times.
Step into our kitchen and leave an impact that’s felt long after the last bite.