In 1974, the Ronald McDonald House Charity was founded in Philadelphia using a portion of the proceeds from the McDonald’s shamrock shake. Now, over 380 house charities exist throughout the country, with one formed in Jacksonville in 1988.

The charity aims to provide meals, lodging, transportation, and a community of care for critically ill children receiving treatment in Northeast Florida. To help fulfill this mission, volunteers are enlisted to help with various events, work in the Kidzone, greet families, and assist with guests’ different needs. The charity hosts annual events, including the McGala, Deck the Doors, golf classic, 5k, and others.

“It really is an environment where folks are able to have that bond to realize, ‘although it may not be great that we’re going through this, we’re not the only ones going through it,’ ” said Jonathan Bishop, the volunteer manager at the Ronald McDonald House Charity.

Bishop began working with the Ronald McDonald House Charity in February, after seeing a posting on a Jacksonville nonprofit network forum. “I saw the opportunity and it kind of felt divine and lo and behold, I got the gig. I’m loving it, no pun intended.” As volunteer manager, Bishop recruits and screens prospective volunteers, orients them to the organization, orchestrates background checks, and manages the system that lists different events and opportunities at the house.

“I just had my first Teen Ambassador meeting on Tuesday, and there were quite a few Bolles students represented. Two of them were at the McGala this past May and were recognized for their work and support of the house. And they did a spike ball tournament and were able to raise some funds…there’s ways that we can get Bolles involved.”

According to Bishop, Bolles students have several opportunities to get involved with the organization, like helping with Deck the Doors in December, assisting with the refreshments stand for the 5k, or collecting stuffed animals to give to families as they check in and out of the Ronald McDonald House. “We do a background check for anyone 18 and up, and anyone 13 to 15 can volunteer with a parent or guardian and then 16 and up can volunteer by themselves within the house,” said Bishop, “but we have a range of volunteers. Of course we get our high school students, we’ve got retirees, and there’s a whole spectrum of different volunteers.”

Bishop also mentioned a possibility of partnering with Bolles for Make a Difference (MAD) Day. “There’s ways that we can get Bolles involved. I think I’m gonna actually have some students here for Make a Difference Day,” said Bishop, “we’re actually going to be splitting up some of the groups and there’s a couple projects we’ve been talking about. We’re still kind of putting together the full itinerary, depending on what our needs are at that time.”

“I’m loving it, no pun intended.” — Jonathan Bishop, volunteer manager

Bishop stated the importance of recruiting new people to help the charity; there are always ways to help the organization fulfill their mission. “It’s important to keep the process going, because we get high school students that graduate, and sometimes they come back in college, sometimes they don’t, or retirees may not be able to come…things happen and whatnot. So just keeping that network open.”

The charity’s vast volunteer network assists in many ways to create a welcoming environment for children and their families. “It’s an environment where folks are able to make meals and have that fellowship and bond to realize, ‘hey, it may not be great we’re going through this, but we’re not the only ones going through this.’ ”