Buena Vista Regional Medical Center unveiled a new Ronald McDonald Family Kitchen on Tuesday, expanding the reach of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Siouxland into Storm Lake.
The kitchen, made possible by an anonymous donation, offers snacks, meals, and comfort items to families with newborns or pediatric patients.
Christy Batien Clark, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Siouxland, says the kitchen brings the organization’s mission beyond the walls of the Ronald McDonald House.
The upgraded space at BVRMC replaces a smaller kitchen and now includes frozen meals, snacks, and activities for children—offering a much-needed break for families during hospital stays, says Jeanette Todd, director of First Embrace Obstetrics at BVRMC.
Storm Lake resident Kelsey Clausen shared how the Ronald McDonald House Family Kitchen at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Sioux City supported her family when her twins were born nine weeks prematurely.
Alyssa Utech, a member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Siouxland Board of Directors, says the kitchen is a meaningful addition.
The Ronald McDonald House of Siouxland now operates family kitchens in five Northwest Iowa hospitals, including Cherokee Regional Medical Center, with more on the horizon, says Batien Clark.
For more information, visit rmhc-siouxland.org.
