Volunteer Appreciation Month—Maria La Ganga

For Maria La Ganga, volunteering at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho brings together two things she values deeply: community and a good homemade cookie.

Maria spent most of her career as a journalist, working across the country and covering everything from city happenings to six presidential elections. She has worked for places including The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian. She’s ridden on buses with the likes of Barack Obama, John Kerry, and George W. Bush. After decades in the newsroom, last fall, she began looking for a meaningful way to spend her newfound free time. “Journalism is a mission driven career,” she said. “When I left work, I knew I needed to do something that mattered.”

She had long been familiar with Ronald McDonald House. Years earlier, while working at a children’s hospital at Stanford University, she spent time around a Ronald McDonald House connected to the hospital. She has had a lifelong commitment to service, from supporting women experiencing homelessness to working on a crisis hotline to helping kids through recreational therapy.

When she left journalism and began thinking about volunteering, she typed two words into Google: “volunteer” and “baking.” That search eventually led her to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho. The idea that she could spend time baking for families with hospitalized children felt like the perfect fit.

“I thought, I can come here and bake for sick kids and their families every week,” she said.

Maria began volunteering in October 2025 and quickly found a rhythm in the kitchen. Cookies are her specialty, especially the kind that brings comfort and familiar flavors. One of her favorites is a salted chocolate chunk shortbread recipe. She says people have also really enjoyed oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, salted caramel peanut butter shortbread, and German chocolate cookies she’s made.

While baking is the starting point, the best moments often happen when the cookies are ready. At first, Maria left them in jars on the counter. Soon she began inviting families to stop by the kitchen or walking through the dining area with a plate of fresh cookies to offer. She always checks with parents first, especially when children have dietary restrictions, but she enjoys sharing a small treat when she can.

“I mean, who is going to resist a cookie?” she said with a smile. “They make people happy. It’s 210 calories of happiness.”

Sometimes the cookies bring back memories. One mom told staff that Maria’s cookies tasted exactly like the ones her mother used to make. Moments like that remind Maria how something simple can mean a lot to families who are going through a difficult time.

For Maria, volunteering is also about connection. After years of working remotely and traveling frequently for her career, she values having a place where she can show up, see familiar faces, and contribute in a meaningful way.

“It’s just nice to have a place where you are expected,” she said, “where you do something that you love, and it matters. Like it may seem like a cookie, but it’s more. It’s remembering your mom, it’s comfort.”

During Volunteer Appreciation Month, we are grateful for volunteers like Maria who bring warmth, kindness, and a little sweetness to the House. What may look like a simple cookie often becomes a moment of comfort for families who need it most.

Cookie Recipes: