How You Can Help

Help us keep families together.

Thanks to the generosity and financial support of the Chattanooga community, RMHC of Greater Chattanooga is able to help improve the lives of critically injured and seriously ill children and their families - But we can’t do it without you, so we’re asking you to get involved!

Volunteer

Volunteers help us provide compassionate hospitality by lifting the spirits and brightening the days of our families.

Various volunteer opportunities are listed below with descriptions.

Get Started Volunteering

Ways You Can Volunteer

  • House Volunteers

    House Volunteers play an important role in the day-to-day operations of the Ronald McDonald House®. They provide administrative support, help keep our House clean and tidy, offer family support and greet families with smiles and listening ears.


    House volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum one 3-hour shift per month and to serve as a vital point of contact for families when they have questions or needs.

  • Family Room Volunteers

    The Family Room is located inside Children’s Hospital (3rd floor near the F elevators). It is staffed everyday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. by RMHC staff and volunteers.


    Family Room volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of one 3-hour shift per month and are required to complete the Erlanger Volunteer Program requirements.  Volunteers must be 18 or older to work in the Ronald McDonald Family Room. Family Room volunteers help:


    - Ensure that visitors feel at home

    - Help people register at the front desk

    - Tidy up the kitchen

    - Replenish snacks and food

    - Interact with RMHC visitors


    **You must be at least 18 years old or older to serve in the Family Room. In addition, you must complete Erlanger’s volunteer process, including the completion of a background check, health screening, immunization submission (flu, COVID, etc.), and a brief orientation.**

  • Adopt a Meal Volunteers

    The goal of the Adopt-A-Meal Program is to help sustain families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Chattanooga by providing an evening meal, so that each family can concentrate on their hospitalized child.


    Often these volunteer groups are families, churches, school groups, or community organizations.


    Volunteers use the Ronald McDonald House pantry or bring their own supplies to cook for as many as 60 people


    The evening meal is served to resident families each day at 6:00 p.m.


    While the evening meal is always provided, there are sometimes opportunities to provide breakfast and lunch to the families.

  • Kitchen Attendant Volunteers

    The Kitchen Attendant works with the Adopt-A-Meal group in the evening to plate and serve family meals, ensure drinks are available, assist with the cleaning of dishes and the dining space, and assist with proper food storage after the meal.


     This shift is 5:30-8:30 p.m. daily and provides great interaction with guests of Ronald McDonald House during the evening meal.

  • Special Event Volunteers

    RMHC of Greater Chattanooga hosts various fundraising events each year: Run4kids, Golf Classic and Wine, Women & Shoes to name a few. Volunteers are needed to help with setup, registration and other event related tasks.


    **We only offer required volunteer hours to high school and college students.**


    **You must be 16 years or older to fill out the volunteer application and volunteer. Volunteers who are under 18 can only serve at The House must be accompanied by a parent/guardian during their shift. ** 

Donate

We rely on the generous support of the community to ensure that RMHC of Greater Chattanooga will always be a place where ill children and their families can set aside some of their worries, at least for a little while.


Donate today to give families with sick children the best medicine – each other

  • In Memory of Honor of Loved One

    Making a gift in a loved one’s memory or honor is a great way to celebrate them while supporting our families who need your help. If requested, an acknowledgement of your gift can be sent to the family of the person memorialized, or a notification of your gift can be sent to the person being honored.

  • Match a Gift

    Many companies offer a matching gift program for donations made by their employees. Check with your human resources department to verify what programs are available.

  • Recurring Gifts

    We never close our doors because families always need us. Would you like to have a continual impact on families by making a monthly or quarterly donation?

  • Stock, Bonds & Mutual funds

    Gifts of appreciated stock, bonds and mutual funds can offer a significant tax savings for the donor. Donors receive a charitable deduction for the fair market value of the donated assets while avoiding capital gains tax.

  • Estate Planning

    Estate planning links you powerfully and permanently to our mission and the families who will need our services in the years to come.

Mail your gift. Contributions can be mailed to:


RMHC of Greater Chattanooga
200 Central Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403


For more information regarding your donation, please contact Tiffany Commons, Chief Operating Officer, at 423.778.4338 or tiffany.commons@rmhchattanooga.com.



Make an online contribution. Our secure, online donation form allows you to make a gift to any of our important programs that serve families.

Donation Portal

Become a Community Partner

COMMUNITY

Our Ronald McDonald Houses send a special message to families, which is that people they will never meet care about their well-being and are rooting for them and their child. It is a message about community.

Whether it’s through monetary gifts, in-kind donations or volunteering, our community partners have been a vital part of helping us deliver comfort and care to children and their families. Supporting RMHC of Greater Chattanooga can help local companies reach a target audience, build brand awareness and motivate employees while supporting your community. Research even shows that support of not-for-profit organizations can influence how customers, employees, and business partners view your company.


If you want to become a Community Partner, please email Ken Cook, Chief Advancement Officer or call at 423.778.4339 for possible sponsorships, partnerships and other opportunities.

Host Your Own Event

Download Our Form

Often, external groups want to host their own fundraising event or activity and donate funds generated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. We welcome these types of partnerships, however, we encourage those planning the event to complete the form below prior to the event. We like to collaborate with groups so that we can offer resources to make your event as successful as possible.


If you want to host your own event, please contact Heather Jennings at 423-778-4140 or heather.jennings@rmhchattanooga.com.

Ways to Give

There are many ways where you can make a big difference in the lives of the families at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. From collecting pop tabs to holding a Wish List drive or collecting change, every simple gesture helps our families at RMHC.

Wish List

To keep the Chattanooga Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room running smoothly, we rely on wish list item donations. Twenty-eight families fill our House each night and approximately 18,000 visits are made to our Family Room throughout the year- and with the generosity of supporters like you we are able to make their stay as comfortable as possible. All wish list donations can be made to the Ronald McDonald House at 200 Central Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403 from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a week. Be sure to visit our Facebook and Instagram every Wednesday for Wish List Wednesday updates on what items we have the greatest need for from week to week.


Shop online and have items sent straight to our House for RMHC families! Visit the Amazon, Target, or Walmart wish lists to donate online. You can shop for the families staying at the Chattanooga Ronald McDonald House without leaving the comfort of home.

For more information on ways to make a personal gift, or to include RMHC of Greater Chattanooga in your estate plans, please contact Cindee McBride, at 423.778.4359 or emailing cindee.mcbride@rmhchattanooga.com.

More Ways to Make a Personal Gift

  • Legacy Gift & Free Will Builder

    We’ve partnered with FreeWill to make it simpler than ever to create your legal will, and start your legacy with RMHC of Greater Chattanooga in the process. Click here to create your legal will and legacy gift for free.

    Give Now

  • IRA Donation

    We have invested in a secure IRA donation tool to make it easier than ever to give to RMHC of Greater Chattanooga directly from your IRA, and receive potential tax benefits. It only takes a few minutes to use, and will auto-complete your paperwork for you. Give from your IRA today.

    Give Now

  • Stock Donation

    Use our secure stock donation tool to donate your stock directly to RMHC of Greater Chattanooga. It only takes a few minutes to use, and will auto-complete your paperwork for you. Donate your stock today.

    Give Now

In-Kind Gifts

In-Kind Gifts are appreciated! You can always help us surpass our fundraising goal by donating your organization’s services and products. From printing and advertising to food and beverages, explore how you or your organization can donate products or services to one of our events.

Poptops & Aluminum Cans

Pop tabs, the little rings on top of many cans, are not only very easy to collect, but they teach people of all ages about philanthropy and provide awareness about our mission.


What you need to know:

  • We also recycle aluminum cans.
  • Pop tabs and aluminum cans are welcomed by our local recycle group who works with us to raise funds
  • Pop Tab and aluminum can donations are not tax-deductible
  • We have a collection site at our physical location, 200 Central Avenue, Chattanooga, TN
  • Upon request, we can provide collection boxes for your pop tabs or you can create your own containers
  • You can drop off your tabs and/or cans between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Ronald McDonald House.
  • group with boxes of pop tabs to donate

Before making your gift, please consider the following:

  • Would you like your gift to be in memory/in honor of someone special?  Making a gift in a loved one’s memory or honor is a great way to celebrate them while supporting our families who need your help. If requested, an acknowledgement of your gift can be sent to the family of the person memorialized, or a notification of your gift can be sent to the person being honored.
  • Will your company double your impact by matching your gift?  Many companies offer a matching gift program for donations made by their employees. Check with your human resources department to verify what programs are available.
  • Would you like to make recurring gifts?  We never close our doors because families always need us. Would you like to have a continual impact on families by making a monthly or quarterly donation?
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