The Ronald MacDonald Foundation is a charitable organization that built accommodation facilities near children hospitals in several North American cities to host attendants (parents, siblings, grandparents etc.) of children receiving treatment in the children hospitals. Several charitable and other organizations sign up for volunteering including cooking meals in these facilities in support of these attendants who usually become very busy taking care of their children and have no time to care for themselves. Calgary Sai Centre’s participation in this activity was initiated in the beginning of 2017. The noble services offered through the Ronald MacDonald Foundation became known through some of our devotees who had personal experiences and benefited by the services offered by the Foundation.

The Sathya Sai Centre of Calgary applied for volunteering opportunities and attended an open house in early 2017. In discussion with the foundation officials, the Sai Centre initiated a monthly service appointment to cook meals on the first Saturday of every month. A Google doc link was created for devotees to sign up for volunteering on their preferred dates. About 8-10 devotees have been volunteering since the inception of the service opportunity. The primary duty is to cook dinner for about 50 guests who are attendants (family and friends) of children who are admitted to the Alberta Children Hospital for treatment.

All of the participants who attended this service were deeply touched by the noble services being extended by this Foundation. Some of them had tears in their eyes learning about the ailments faced by the children undergoing treatment and realized how fortunate they were to be blessed with good health. Some of the devotees have been participating ever since on a recurring basis. Several devotees had the opportunity to interact with some of the parents whose children were undergoing cancer treatment in the Alberta Children Hospital, Calgary. The interactions were conducted in a kind and empathetic manner with respect for the difficulties faced by the parents.

The Ronald MacDonald house is deeply appreciative of the support rendered by the Sathya Sai Centre of Calgary.