Guardians and RMHC NEO Team Up
This baseball season is a home run for families with the Cleveland Guardians pitching in for RMHC Northeast Ohio! This April, the Guardians launched two new player initiatives: Cooking with Naylor with first baseman Josh Naylor, and Bottle Caps (and Pull Tabs) for a Cause with outfielder Oscar Gonzalez.
Find out how you can join in and check back to see what your favorite players are doing to make a difference for families served by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio.
OUR GUARDIANS IN ACTION
New Dad Rallies Fans for Families
Tylor Mettler, general manager for Delaware North, the concessions provider for Progressive Field and the Cleveland Guardians, has been supporting RMHC NEO families with donations of paper goods and produce this season. Tylor, girlfriend Hilary, and daughter Hadilynn, joined Josh Naylor in the kitchen on August 11, to prepare a meal for guests of the Cleveland Ronald McDonald House.
Just before moving to Cleveland in 2022, Tylor and Hillary learned that their unborn daughter had Spina Bifida. The care and support they found in their new hometown inspired Tylor to find a way to give back. Read their story here.
Cooking with Mom, Feeling at Home
When Josh Naylor’s mom Jenice came to town for a Mother’s Day weekend visit, she was excited to spend time with her son baking one of their favorite desserts for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
Josh and Jenice were joined by House guests Megan and Major Lindberg, and the bond they formed led to some magical moments for the whole Lindberg family, including an impromptu trip to Progressive Field! Read the story.
Oscar visits the House — see more photos
Oscar Gonzalez joined us at our Cleveland House on April 21 to kick off Pull Tab Palooza. He brought the first batch of what totaled almost 6,000 lbs. of pull tabs by day’s end, colored Earth Day pictures with kids, and even played some cornhole!
Oscar was also interviewed by Telemundo, along with RMHC NEO staff and families staying at the House, for this Spanish-language piece that aired that night:
Esfuerzo al Estilo Grandes Ligas en Cleveland para ayudar a la comunidad (telemundocleveland.com)
COOKING WITH NAYLOR: JOSH NAYLOR PREPARES MONTHLY MEALS AND FAMILY FAVORITES FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE FAMILIES
Josh Naylor is quite the cook. He grew up preparing meals alongside his mother and has an impressive collection of family recipes. He also loves kids, so when he was looking for a place to put his culinary skills to good use, the Ronald McDonald House provided the perfect venue!
Josh volunteers monthly, often with his fiancé, recording artist Chantel, preparing and delivering meals and visiting with families. This summer, guests of our Cleveland House and Family Room programs have enjoyed baseball-themed boxed lunches, a “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) feast, and a sampling of Josh’s favorite dessert made from scratch. Thank you to Josh and the Cooking with Naylor program!
Served with Love: About our Family Meal Program
Family meals, Served with Love, help keep families strong so they can focus on what matters most — their children. The meals we serve alleviate the stress of figuring out what, when and where to eat, and eliminate a huge financial burden during an extremely stressful time. In 2022, we served:
- 38,927 lunches and dinners, daily continental breakfast and 24/7 self-serve snacks and beverages for guests staying at our two Ronald McDonald House locations.
- 15,860 boxed lunches at our four hospital Family Room programs and Akron Children’s Hospital.
- 2,264 breakfast bags to families at Akron Children’s Hospital Beeghly Campus and Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth’s NICU.
OSCAR GONZALEZ PULLS FOR THE HOUSE AT PROGRESSIVE FIELD!
When Oscar Gonzalez was looking for ways to get involved in the community our pull tab program was a perfect fit! Collecting aluminum pull tabs to help families staying at the Ronald McDonald House is similar to Oscar’s hometown charity, Bottle Caps for a Cause, which recycles the caps to help kids with cancer in the Dominican Republic.
With a sponsorship from Pepsi and an assist from GM of concessions Tylor Mettler, Oscar has brought both programs to Progressive Field! Fans can now drop their pull tabs and caps in collection containers throughout the stadium, and even bring their collections with them from home.
Why Pull Tabs?
We collect aluminum pull tabs from any container (soda pop, soup, pet food, etc.) and work with a local recycler to turn those tabs into money for our Family Fund. This fund is used to provide families staying at RMHC NEO with needed items, assistance in emergencies, and special moments – like small gifts for children if they have a birthday while at the House. Start your personal or group collection today with these downloadable labels and activities:
Flyer | Container Label | Build-Your-Own Pull Tab House Template
Recycling Coloring Page | Aluminum Recycling Facts
All RMHC NEO programs are provided at no cost to families, thanks to generous community support.