Running head: Wounded Warrior Project Ronald McDonald House 1

Social Justice and Community Activism Paper

Christopher Manaois

University of San Diego

Healthcare Informatics
 Wounded Warrior Project Ronald McDonald House 2

The project I chose to be a part of was Wounded Warrior Project’s Dinner Serving at the

Ronald McDonald House here in San Diego. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an

organization with a goal of assisting veterans and service members (called alumni) who have

incurred any injury or illness, physical or mental during military service by providing different

activities like classes, sporting event tickets, and even volunteer opportunities (Wounded Warrior

Project, n.d.). Since returning to civilian life may become challenging for some veterans, these

events help alumni during that transition. As a combat veteran and WWP alumnus, I was graced

with an opportunity to help with the dinner preparation and serving during the February 14, 2020

at the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), San Diego. RMHC is a unique organization

that provides a “home-away-from-home” for families of children being treated for life-

threatening conditions at local hospitals (Ronald McDonald House Charities San Diego, n.d.).

Joining this volunteer opportunity served a two-fold purpose for me. It provided me the

opportunity to connect and support fellow local veterans and allowed me to support RMHC’s

mission.

San Diego is a town of many veterans, a good number of whom have incurred combat

related injuries such as PTSD. Getting involved in an organization such as WWP served as a

chance for me to meet veterans, some of which are battling injuries of war. On the other hand, I

have seen the RMHC building before, but never really had the opportunity to discover what it

was all about. This was my first time learning and experiencing what the organization has been

aiming for. I learned that the facility has been providing essential services for the families of sick

children- free of charge. Participating in this event provided me with realization on how difficult

it is for the children, parents and other family members going through hospitalizations. On top of

attending to their sick child/children, necessities such as food, clothing, laundry and shelter are
 Wounded Warrior Project Ronald McDonald House 3

things family members are typically concerned with. With the assistance RMHC provides, those

necessities would lessen the burdens of families. There are also other services like a movie

theater, a small classroom and playgrounds that provide families a little taste of normalcy amidst

the hardships of hospital confinement.

Because I was able to come out to this event, it felt extremely gratifying to be able to

prepare and serve dinner for these families. Being able to contribute in the small way I did shed a

light on how simple deeds can touch other’s lives. In addition, having shared this experience

with fellow veterans made it feel extra special. I learned that sometimes, being in the company of

another veteran who has gone through the same hoops is all it takes to help mentally and

emotionally. More importantly, it was personally grand for me being part of an event that not

only focused on camaraderie, but also emphasized service as an important purpose in life. I am

grateful I joined this event because it heightened my awareness in the reality of troubled

communities and the existence of opportunities to help them.

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References

Ronald McDonald House Charities San Diego (n.d.). Mission. Retrieved from

https://rmhcsd.org/about-rmhcsd/mission/

Wounded Warrior Project. (n.d.). We Serve Injured Post 9/11 American Veterans & Service

Members: WWP. Retrieved from https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission

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Figures

Figure 1. Screenshot of the WWP event confirmation

Figure 2. Image of RMHC volunteers and WWP alumni who participated in the valentines

evening feeding event.

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Figure 3. Image taken of volunteers serving food to the RMHC guests and visitors.

Figure 4. Image of a young patient actively engaging with volunteer servers.