MARPE’s story began with the experience of being far from home when a child needed specialized medical care.
Nearly a decade ago, Yiddy Greenfield was a patient at Cincinnati Children’s. Alongside the concern for her child, his mother encountered the challenges that families face when seeking care in an unfamiliar city: arranging transfers, navigating insurance approvals, finding the right people to speak to, and understanding what needed to happen next.
With each return visit, she gained experience and built relationships with physicians, nurses, and hospital staff. Other families began turning to her with questions of their own. What she had learned through her own circumstances became a way to help others arrive better prepared, reach the appropriate specialist, or work through obstacles that felt impossible to manage alone.
But reaching the hospital was only part of what families needed.
Parents were arriving in Cincinnati with little time to prepare. Some expected a short visit and found themselves staying much longer. Others came following an unexpected transfer, with their attention entirely on their child. Once they arrived, they still needed food for the day, somewhere to sleep, and the basic comforts that were easy to take for granted at home.
In nearby Centerville, Indiana, members of the Chasidishe community began responding to those needs. Meals prepared for one family soon included portions for another. As volunteers met more parents at the hospital, they saw how many were struggling with the same difficulties.
Around 2023, those individual efforts grew into a dedicated community kitchen. Preparing, packaging, and delivering meals became an ongoing responsibility, supported by people who understood that families needed to be able to count on it throughout their stay.
The connection between guidance and practical support helped the work reach further. Knowing which families were coming, where they would be, and how long they expected to stay made it possible to prepare for their arrival and respond as their circumstances changed.
A dedicated Bikur Cholim room at Cincinnati Children’s became another important step. After working with the hospital to secure a suitable space, families had a dependable place to collect meals, make a hot drink, and find everyday essentials. It also gave parents a familiar corner within the hospital—a place where they might meet another family going through a similar experience.
Accommodations remained a pressing need. Ronald McDonald House provided an important option, but rooms were not always available when families needed to arrive or remain for an extended stay.
The Yiddy Greenfield House, directly across from Cincinnati Children’s, helped answer that need. Apartments became available gradually, giving families a comfortable place to rest, prepare food, and remain close to their child. As more rooms opened, more families could be accommodated, including those who needed to stay for months rather than days.
Today, MARPE brings together referral guidance, accommodations, and fresh kosher meals for families in need. While Cincinnati Children’s remains central to the work, meal deliveries also reach families at other hospitals across the Midwest.
The work has grown, but its purpose remains rooted in the experience that began it: understanding how much a family is already carrying, and taking care of what we can so they can give their attention and strength to their child.
