Middle School Service Club Provides Warm Meals to Families in Need of Support

A homecooked meal can go a long way to ease a family’s burden.

With that in mind, seven members of the Somers Middle School Service Club traveled recently to Ronald McDonald House in Valhalla where they prepared dinner and dessert for the families staying there.

Ronald McDonald House helps families with sick children by providing support, resources, and a home away from home while their child receives medical care. Teachers and Service Club advisors, Daniel Drebycz and Annette Soares accompanied the students.

“The Ronald McDonald House is a great place for families in need,” said Drebycz. “I have volunteered there in the past, and I am so happy that my students were able to give back to a cause that is near and dear to my heart.”

The students and faculty volunteers participated in the Meals That Heal program, which is designed to help feed the families of children currently undergoing treatment at Maria Ferrari Children’s Hospital.

“It was something we had never experienced before,” said Sophia Schoenberg. “It felt good to give back to the community.”

Service Club students and their families purchased all the food needed to prepare a meal for about 35 people. Students collectively decided to make deconstructed taco salads. Each student had a different job that contributed to prepping, cooking, and cleaning up after the meal. Working together, they were able to get everything ready in time for dinner, package meals to grab on the go, and leave the space clean for the next set of volunteers. Students also baked heart-shaped cookies for dessert.

 “Helping was important to the Service Club because we put our love into a meal that some of the families couldn't enjoy before,” said Schoenberg.

While at the Ronald McDonald House, students toured the facility and even met a few of the families currently staying at the house.

“Normal community service is like picking up trash on the side of the road,” said Joelle Imperati. This was a totally different experience, we learned about parents with sick kids in the hospital and what they are going through in their life.”

“Helping at the Ronald McDonald House gave us a new perspective on how hard it is for the families in the house. It made us feel grateful for our lives and how lucky we are,” said Schoenberg.

Service Club members are accustomed to helping their community. So far this year, they’ve held a sock drive for Blythdale Children’s Hospital, a coat drive for “One Warm Coat,” and collected Halloween candy.

“Earlier in the year, we also donated candy from Halloween to the Ronald McDonald House,” said Imperati. “It was very special to help families who didn't get to trick-or-treating door-to-door.”

“A piece of candy can help distract them from what they are going through,” Drebycz added.

The students who took part in cooking for the families at Ronald McDonald House donated approximately five hours of their time to participate. As they left for their return trip back to school, students were already discussing when they might be able to go back to cook another meal.

“We met a couple of moms who told us their stories. The experience was something I've never done before, and I would definitely do it again!” said Imperati. “It was an amazing experience!”