Campus Kitchen at Marquette University delivers meals to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Since 2011, the Campus Kitchen at Marquette University (CKMU) has partnered with the Foundation for Children with Cancer to provide hot meals to families at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Every month, 120 meals are delivered to the Hematology/Oncology/Transplant (HOT) unit at the hospital to parents who are so focused on their child’s treatment that they often grab quick meals out of vending machines and cafeterias.

But in order to have enough energy to take care of their kids, these parents need to eat healthy, nutritious meals. That’s where CKMU comes in. “We bring hot meals cooked with a little love and caring to the HOT unit twice a month,” said Amanda Parrell Kaczmarek, CKMU’s coordinator. Siblings and patients are frequent guests at the table; families are able to enjoy a meal together without having to leave the HOT Unit. The student volunteers at Marquette try to make balanced meals with lots of fresh foods, including produce from CKMU’s garden.

The delivery to Children’s Hospital only accounts for about 6% of CKMU’s 2,000 monthly meals, but the impact is huge. “A mother of a patient once told a student volunteer that this was the first real thing that she had eaten in seven days. There is no way to deny that we are making a difference to the families we serve,” Parrell Kaczmarek said.

The money donated through Raise the Dough will help CKMU create meals for families at Children’s Hospital, youth at Kids’ Cafe at HeartLove Place, seniors at Goodwill Senior Dining Centers and all of the guests served by CKMU’s other partner agencies. The funds will also help buy garden supplies and provide healthy, fresh food to the Milwaukee community. Please donate today!