'Chef for a Day' Just One Way to Help Families of Children in Need As Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) Prepares For National Volunteer Week; More Than 40,000 Volunteers Keep Organization Functioning Each Year.

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Sometimes the hardest part about volunteering is finding out where the opportunities are. As National Volunteer Week begins (April 23-29), Ronald McDonald House Charities is encouraging people who want to volunteer to join the more than 40,000 people worldwide who help keep RMHC and its key programs, Ronald McDonald House(R), Ronald McDonald Family Room(TM) and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile(TM) running.

Getting involved is easier than you might think. Here are some simple ways that people can volunteer with RMHC. For more information about how and where to volunteer for an RMHC program in your area, log onto www.rmhc.org.

--Be a chef for a day--Get a group of four to eight people together and call your local Ronald McDonald House. Ronald McDonald Houses are a "home away from home" for families with sick children, and a nice home-cooked meal can go a long way to helping families feel more at home.

--Host a game night at a local House/Family Room--Bring in different board games, family games or card games and invite families to join in the fun.

--Exercise your green thumb--Help maintain the garden areas to make things look bright for the families at a local House.

--Provide patient escorts for the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile--Help a sick child by providing your support during their Ronald McDonald Care Mobile medical appointments. Walk them from their school or home to one of these cost-effective health care vehicles.

--Provide administration support--Assist Ronald McDonald House managers, Ronald McDonald Family Room or Ronald McDonald Care Mobile staff with administrative needs, or give of your time to staff a local health fair.

"Without our volunteers who donate more than three million hours of their time worldwide, Ronald McDonald House Charities would not be able to provide the services that so many families need," said Crystal Trull, development director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. "Volunteer Week is a great opportunity for us to encourage people to seek out their local RMHC programs and see what they can do to help."

The Ronald McDonald House program celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2005 and has provided a "home-away-from-home" for more than 10 million families since its inception in 1974. There are currently more than 250 Ronald McDonald Houses open in 28 countries around the world.

The Ronald McDonald Family Room program provides a home-like haven inside hospitals, offering families an opportunity to reflect, shower or rest. Today, there are more than 97 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in ten countries.

Launched in the fall of 2000, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program is a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles that deliver cost-effective medical, dental and health education services directly to underserved children in their own neighborhoods. There are 30 Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs currently in service in three countries, bringing health care and education to more than 100,000 children each year.

About RMHC

Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most -- right in their own communities. RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children's lives through its global network of local Chapters in nearly 50 countries and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House(R), Ronald McDonald Family Room(TM) and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile(TM). RMHC and its global network of local Chapters have awarded more than $430 million in grants and program services to children's programs around the world. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.

(C) 2006 McDonald's