Monday, January 2nd marked the beginning of the “Wish List” drive for the Ronald McDonald House of Houston at Houston Texas Consulting.

Houston's Ronald McDonald House offers loving, home-like environments, where families can find support and share experiences with others while on their journey to overcome a critical childhood illness. This mission has been the vision and driving force behind Houston's Ronald McDonald House for more than three decades. Today that vision has grown to include:

• Holcombe House a freestanding 50-bedroom home for longer term stays
• House inside Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) a home with 20 bedrooms
• House inside Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital a home with 14 bedrooms
• Three Family Rooms inside TCH
• "Cookie Corner" at M. D. Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital

When a critical illness strikes a child, the nearest treatment can be far from home in an unfamiliar medical center. The treatment likely requires long periods of hospitalization and extended periods of hospital-based therapy. The only solution for many families is to leave their home, friends and family behind in order to remain at their child's side and stay as close to the hospital as possible.

However, no health insurance plan has ever covered the additional expense of food and lodging while living far from home. Nor do they accommodate the special emotional needs of fearful parents and confused siblings. The best solution is to offer families a home away from home where they could be a family again, and enjoy a little privacy as well as the support of others experiencing a similarly anxious time. (http://www.rmhhouston.org)

Houston Texas Consulting supports the Ronald McDonald House’s vision that every child and family dealing with a critical illness will have a place they can stay and be close with their family during the hardship of dealing with the illnesses. The team at Houston Texas Consulting hopes to send boxes to the Ronald McDonald House overflowing!

We encourage you to bring in the following items from the “Wish List” to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Below is a list of items are in continuous use, and are necessary for the daily operation of "The House That Love Built."

• Individually packaged breakfast items such as muffins, Danishes, POP Tarts and breakfast bars
• Fruit Loops, Cocoa Puffs, Frosted Flakes
• Oatmeal-variety pack
• Individually packaged snacks such as granola bars, crackers, chips, pretzels, cookies, gummie snacks, candy and popcorn
• Fruit - Fresh or individual servings
• Tuna lunch kits
• Coffee - regular
• Sugar Packets
• Microwaveable soups – individual servings
• Trash Bags (7-10, 13 and 45-55 gal.)
• Paper Products (paper towels, toilet paper, tissue)
• Heavy Duty Paper Plates (no Styrofoam please)
• Disposable Flatware
• Ziploc Storage & Freezer Bags (Gallon & Quart)
• 12 oz. or 16 Oz Disposable Beverage Cups
• Kitchen Towels
• Bath Size Bar Soap
• Disinfecting Products: Hand Sanitizer, Lysol Wipes and Spray
• Liquid Laundry Detergent
• Liquid Dishwashing Soap
• Xerox Paper 8 1/2"x11"
• Postage Stamps
• AA Batteries
• Visa, Master Card, AMEX, Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger Gift Cards (with no expiration dates)
• Edwards Movie Theater gift cards
• Houston Zoo passes
• Houston Museum of Natural Science passes

Houston Texas Consulting will be making their donations on February 9, 2012.