Written by the original cart at Hospital for Special Surgery and Tim Wilson
Fun Fact:
In 2024, 7,492 caregivers and family members received service through our hospitality cart program
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A Day in the Life
Hi. I’m a Hospitality Cart at Ronald McDonald House New York. That was Jackie, my fearless leader, in the video above. You'll learn all about her a little later.
To the untrained eye, I may just be a rolling aluminum frame with drawers full of tasty snacks, but if you ask the parents who linger at my side or the volunteers who push me gently through hospital hallways each week, you’d probably hear that I carry something far more meaningful than just healthy snacks, cookies, coffee, and juice.
Some call me “a moment of normal.” Others call me a “break in the day.” But I like to think of myself as a rolling reminder that kindness is still within reach one small gesture at a time.
Come follow me as I take you through an average day in my life as a Ronald McDonald Hospitality à la Carte®. That's me!
Overnight: I Sleep at the Hospital
Every cart like me—there are seven of us now across New York City—lives full-time inside the hospital each of us serves. I don’t go home to Ronald McDonald House New York on East 73rd street. I stay where I’m needed, tucked into a quiet closet or corner of a pediatric unit, so I’m ready for service each day.
We’ve come a long way since the beginning. I’m actually going to turn 10 years old this year, the oldest and wisest of my siblings. Today, I’m part of a program that was first piloted in 2015 at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Back then, I rolled between the inpatient unit on the fifth floor and the rehab outpatient area on the ninth.
The original idea for the hospitality cart wasn’t born in New York though—it was inspired by a version that Ronald McDonald House Charities piloted in Palo Alto, California. This initiative was called the Happy Wheels Coffee Cart known today as Ronald McDonald Hospitality a la Carte Program. It was a mobile solution to a core question: How can we meet families where they are—especially when they can’t leave their child’s hospital bedside?
Allyson and Jill talk to staff in inpatient at HSS.
But once the team at RMH-NY saw what this could become, they ran with it and made me something special and very specific to each hospital in NYC.
Back then, carts like me were made from heavy particle board. I was beautiful, but a bit on the heavier side and a total pain to push around. Eventually, Jackie—she’s the Program Senior Manager at RMH-NY and my unofficial caretaker—made the switch to aluminum. She calls me her “day one baby.” She’s been with the program since 2017, and while she didn’t design the very first cart, she’s been steering our evolution ever since.
1 pm: Morning Routine (by which I mean early afternoon)
At New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, where a younger cart lives and works, the day usually begins around 1:00 PM.
This is similar to my start time at Hospital for Special Surgery as well. That’s when volunteers arrive for a two-hour shift.
The first 30 minutes are all about setup or an event I like to call getting dressed + adding accessories: coffee brewed, hot water heated, drawers restocked and dated, hand sanitizer filled, and surfaces wiped clean until I shine.
Everything I offer—from apple juice and crackers to kosher, dairy-free, or vegan snacks—is carefully selected. Jackie and her team work hard to meet hospital dietary requirements and include something for everyone. No peanuts or almonds, of course. You’d be surprised how much thought goes into one of my snack drawers.
Goldfish, for example, are non-negotiable. Her first year, Jackie tried to let them run out before the holidays so she could start the new year with fresh inventory.
Big mistake. The calls, the emails… she rush-ordered those Goldfish to get them back on the cart pronto.
Sadly, Goldfish have been replaced by cheddar bunny crackers, but who doesn't love a good bunny-shaped cracker.
And hey, I’m just the cart. I don’t make the rules. I just know that Goldfish/cheddar bunny smiles matter too.
2 pm: Let’s Roll
Allyson and Jill spot an incoming family looking for snacks on a Tuesday at HSS
By 2:00 PM, I’m fully dressed and ready to greet the floor. I don’t always move much depending on the hospital’s rules, I may stay in one spot while volunteers go room to room inviting families to come by. But sometimes, I do get wheeled around so I can say hello bedside. Every hospital is a little different, and so are its policies.
At Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), for instance, I have never been allowed to enter rooms even if accompanied by the most amazing volunteers in New York City (more on the volunteers later). At New York-Presbyterian Hospital, hospitality carts have never been able to enter patient’s rooms either, but if our volunteers followed proper PPE protocol, they could go in while I waited right outside. That meant gowns, gloves, and careful attention to infection control.
However, COVID changed those procedures, and we adapted like everything and everyone else.
Some floors I visit are inpatient. Others are outpatient. At New York Health + Hospitals Elmhurst in Queens, we’ve even made a few guest appearances in the behavioral health unit. Jackie is always looking for ways to make sure no team is overlooked.
2:30 pm: Musical Magic
Dusty and Dott perform and interactive with the children and families at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County during a Musical Magic program.
Sometimes I tag along for special events like Ronald McDonald House New York’s Musical Magic programs. Families in the hospital come for a concert, and I roll up like a boss and a snack bar on wheels, offering drinks and smiles during the show.
Those are some of my favorite days when these incredibly talented volunteer performers do what they do best for free and for the best audience of kids around. I love watching the show, but I love watching how the kids’ faces light up time and time again with these amazing performances even more.
Here's a little sample of a Musical Magic Moment at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn where one of my siblings resides. Enjoy the entertainment.
3 pm: Snuggled in for Another Night’s Sleep
I know it doesn’t seem like my workday is all that long, but you would be amazed the kind of ground my siblings and I can cover in such a small window of time.
Plus, hospitality carts are known for needing ample time to recharge as many have the sole duty of representing Ronald McDonald House New York at our assigned hospital.
A day in the life of the hospitality cart might be a quick one comparatively, but when the day is done the work has only begun. For Jackie and the Programs team, hours of work and creative thought go into making sure that each cart is optimized to impact the greatest number of families and kids possible.
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Providing the Little Things That Totally Add Up
Wherever I go, I try to bring the same thing: relief. Not medical relief. Not treatment. Just… a breath. A cup of coffee for a parent who didn’t sleep last night. A juice box for a child in between appointments. A granola bar and a human conversation.
Allyson, Melissa, Jackie, and Jill- The hospitality cart team at HSS
Melissa, the Senior Child Life Specialist at HSS, said it best:
“Families come in here and no one is excited to come to the hospital… but these small gestures—food, conversation, community—really make a difference. Sometimes they're not getting good news. Sometimes they're nervous. And so just having these lovely ladies to greet them and give them a snack can really ease people's nerves.”
She’s not wrong. I’ve seen grown adults cry while stirring sugar into coffee. I’ve watched a kid with a brand-new prosthetic leg walk over to me for the first time. That’s the moment Jackie loves to remember—the kid had been there for weeks, and when he finally stood on his own, he walked straight to me—to the hospitality cart.
Can you imagine that?
The Human Touch (and Training Behind It)
Say hello to my volunteers at HSS on Tuesdays: Allyson and Jill. Every day a new set of volunteers comes to work with me. I love the diversity and the incredibly delightful and specifically different way every pair of volunteers utilize me to create more smiles. They are all so good at that.
But let’s act like today is Tuesday, so I’m with the Amazing Allyson and the Joyful Jill.
Allyson’s Hospitality Cart Origin Story
“I joined the HSS cart crew September of ’23. I had volunteered at the house, and just loved it, pre COVID. And then, of course, they closed the volunteers. And I went on every few months to see if they were taking volunteers. And then one day, it was open, and my whole family thought I was crazy. I was like, it's open. I can get in. And so, I was lucky enough to be part of this program, because I was looking for a more robust opportunity, something that gave me an opportunity to work with a special partner like Jill, who's been unbelievable, but also, as we were saying before, it's an extension of Ronald McDonald's mission. And I think we love working with patients.”
My volunteers are trained with care. Jackie personally walks them through what to expect. She even tells them they’ll mess up the coffee machine at least once. It’s a rite of passage, and boy is it hot.
But more than just stocking snacks or keeping things tidy, volunteers like Allyson and Jill are trained to provide something subtler: emotional hospitality. They know not to ask medical questions. Not to comment on diagnoses or assume. Instead, they’re taught to act as a break from the stress of the day and their ever-present medical journey. Usually what these kids need most is a friendly smile outside of the pain, a kind word, and a little snack—a gift for all those that choose to partake.
Jill’s Hospitality Cart Origin Story
“yes. I started in December of 2022. It was a branch out (from other weekly duties at RMH-NY). Even before storytelling, my first job at the House was as a greeter. Remember that? And from greeting, I started reading. Then we started our library at the house, and now we do story time once a month. And here on Tuesdays.”
If you want to learn all about Jill and her dedication to the kids and families at the House, read Jill Sharfstein: Fashioning Smiles One Story at a Time.
“This is a full-service opportunity,” Jackie says.
“We are here to be that kind of break in, that charming part of the day… a smiling person, a kind conversation that has nothing to do with what is happening in their life at that moment.”
Jill and Allyson provide a listening ear along with snacks and coffee at Hospital for Special Surgery.
Another of Jackie’s favorite memories? A mom came up to me and I could tell she didn’t even really want the coffee. She just wanted someone to talk to. RMH-NY volunteers know that, sometimes, the drink is just the excuse.
Strategic Growth: We’re in Seven Hospitals Now
Want to know where my siblings live? Here’s the full list:
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HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery) – the OG, our pilot site – that’s me!
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New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
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Elmhurst Hospital
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Kings County Hospital
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Jacoby Medical Center
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Metropolitan Hospital
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Montefiore Medical Center
Some of these hospitals also have Ronald McDonald Family Rooms—dedicated spaces where families who have a child receiving inpatient treatment at the hospital can rest, recharge, and connect with each other. Others, like HSS, don’t. That’s where carts like me really shine. For families who never leave their child’s side, I am their only touchpoint with RMH-NY, so I have to be on point every single day.
As Jackie said:
“Some families don’t want to leave their child’s bedside, so even though there’s a Family Room, having the cart adds another layer of service. It also helps build that connection. They see a familiar face.”
We Serve More Than Families
Jill shows HSS staff the next book for their Book Club.
At HSS, I’m the only cart that officially serves hospital staff too. Nurses, orderlies, administrators—they all know me. Some swing by for a granola bar between patients. Some even come by to discuss a good book and to check-in with my volunteers to see if their book club is meeting this week. My volunteers are starting a book club with staff from HSS. I think that’s remarkable. Now, if I could just learn to turn those pages then I could join the club too.
Others just stop to say hi to the volunteers. There’s something grounding about that moment. Everyone needs kindness. I don’t discriminate. Neither do my volunteers.
Hospitality cart at Kings county serving Musical Magic attendees.
Did you know?
In March 2025 alone, all of us hospitality carts together served over 900 individuals. That’s not a guess. That’s a verified quantity.
Each Hospital Has Its Own Flavor
No two days look the same. Every hospital has its own policies, patient population, and rhythm.
Kings County hospital Family Room and Hospitality Cart
Some want carts like me available during quieter times, to avoid clashing with lunch delivery or medical rounds. Others coordinate with their staff to avoid times when hospital traffic might be calmer with fewer families coming in for appointments—for example, HSS opted not to expand me to Fridays because patient numbers drop then, and they wanted volunteers to have the most meaningful experience possible.
Gail volunteers to push the Hospitality cart at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. Gail is actually a retired nurse who worked at Elmhurst Hospital for many, many years during her career. We are so happy to have Gail on the hospitality cart team!
Ronald McDonald House New York works closely with each hospital’s Child Life staff and Volunteer Departments to ensure the cart fits the environment. Volunteers, too, are carefully chosen. As Jackie puts it:
“It definitely takes a very special volunteer…”
More Musical Magic time for Kings County Hospital Hospitality Cart in Brooklyn
Some volunteers stick around for years. Jeannie, who volunteers at New York-Presbyterian, has been with RMH-NY since 2019. She even switched hospitals for a while when one location paused during the pandemic—just so she could keep pushing one of us.
I got to work with Jeanie a few times and I am a better cart for it. She is very special and holds the mission of RMH-NY very close to her heart. It’s revealed in every interaction she has with families.
Taking it One Day at a Time
Like everything else, the pandemic changed me. For a while, all in-person volunteer programs shut down. That included me and all my siblings. Jackie had to start from scratch with help from Sotirika on our Volunteers Team—new volunteers were identified and onboarded, new schedules were made, new logistics had to be created. Her goal now is simple: consistency.
We aren’t in every hospital five days a week yet. Some of us roll out two or three times a week, depending on availability. But the dream is to grow to four days, maybe more, as volunteer numbers build back.
Join the Volunteer Team at RMH-NY
If you're someone who believes in offering compassionate care to pediatric patients and their caregivers and families—especially those navigating healthcare disparities far from home—there’s a place for you here. Ronald McDonald House New York is always looking for dedicated volunteers to support our mission in both the House and nearby hospitals. You might even find yourself serving joy, snacks, and emotional support with a smile… while rolling alongside me, the Hospitality Cart.
Visit our Volunteering page to learn more and join the waitlist. The next spot could be yours. Sign up today and help bring comfort where it matters most.
My Mission as a RMH-NY Hospitality Cart
I am a RMH-NY Hospitality Cart. I don’t heal cancer. I don’t explain test results. I don’t carry syringes or medical forms.
But I carry a little bit of comfort and can frequently assist in producing smiles where there were none before. And sometimes, that’s enough.
Melissa from HSS said it best:
“These small gestures… really make a difference.”
And Jackie adds:
“It sounds like such a simple idea—snack and a beverage—but it’s the human connection… the moment of peace… that really provides comfort.”
So, that’s how I roll. Every hallway. Every room. Every cup of coffee. Every kind hello.[
One Last Thing
Jill offers a young hospitality cart onlooker brand new stickers.
Well, that’s a day in the life of a hospitality cart from Ronald McDonald House New York. I hope that you enjoyed the roll and maybe even learned something you might not have known about RMH-NY’s recent growth and dedication to serving the most vulnerable families in NYC.
If you see me in the wild—gleaming blue drawers, stacked high with snacks, painted on signs that say “Hello from Ronald McDonald House New York”—know that I was built with care. Maintained with thought. Moved with intention. Stocked with empathy.
And if you happen to notice a shortage of cheddar bunny crackers? Don’t panic. Jackie’s on it.
Interested in supporting our Hospitality Cart Program? Learn more at rmh-newyork.org or consider volunteering. Your time might just become someone’s moment of peace.
