Ronald McDonald House Charities

Kids

Ways to Contribute

In addition to monetary donations, there are many other ways to contribute to Ronald McDonald House Charities. Many of the donations and volunteer opportunities with RMHC directly benefit local Chapters and Houses. Please review some of our general opportunities, and then contact your local RMHC organization for details.

Toy and Food Donation

Donate Toys

You can donate new toys, books and games to any Ronald McDonald House playroom. Because Ronald McDonald Houses serve so many children and families, we can only accept new toys — our playroom items get more use than toys played with at home.

Toys that make great donations to a Ronald McDonald House include:

  • Board games
  • Stuffed animals and dolls
  • Books for various reading levels
  • Puzzles
  • Video games (rated E)
  • Movies (rated G)
  • Balls and outdoor games

Donate Food

Each Ronald McDonald House provides visiting families with at least one stocked kitchen. Canned goods and nonperishable food items make great donations for any Ronald McDonald House, and they make it easy for families to fix meals and snacks without worrying about grocery shopping.

Contact your local House to arrange donations.

Ronald McDonald House Wish List

Donating everyday household products is another way to help your local Ronald McDonald House. Houses need the same products as your home, but they need them in bulk because several families stay in Houses every night.

Donating any of these items, as new, can help Houses better serve families:

  • Paper products (facial tissue, toilet paper, paper towels)
  • Trash bags
  • Aluminum foil, plastic wrap and sandwich bags
  • Laundry detergent and fabric softener
  • Cleaning products (sponges, dishwashing liquid, dishwasher detergent)
  • Bath and bedroom items (towels, shower curtains, sheets and pillow cases)
  • Personal care products (deodorant, dental floss, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner)
  • Entertainment products (games, movies, books, art supplies)
  • Phone cards
  • Gift cards for local grocery stores and gas stations
  • Greeting cards and postage stamps

Contact your local Ronald McDonald House directly to find out what items are on your House’s wish list.

Pop Tab Collection Program

  • Many Ronald McDonald Houses work with local recycling centers to raise money by collecting tabs from aluminum cans.
  • Ronald McDonald Houses collect pop tabs instead of entire aluminum cans because the tabs are pure high-quality aluminum, unlike cans, which consist of aluminum and other alloys. Tabs are also easier to store than whole cans.
  • If your local Ronald McDonald House participates in the program, it’s likely cardboard collection containers in the shape of a house have been distributed to schools, community and civic groups and other organizations in your area, as well as at the Ronald McDonald House, local McDonald’s restaurants, local banks and grocery stores. You can collect pop tabs to donate to your House.
  • After the tabs are collected, the local RMHC Chapter brings the collection to local recycling centers, where they are weighed to determine their value. One pound of tabs is worth 57 cents, and one gallon of pop tabs (4,175 tabs) is worth $1.49.
  • The recycling center then sends the local RMHC Chapter or House a check for the total value. To date, more than 400 million pop tabs have been collected, generating more than $4 million.

To donate pop tabs, find a drop-off location or for more information, find a participating Chapter.

RMHC Canister Program

McDonald’s Corporation is a large supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities. The most visible show of this support are local RMHC Chapters’ collection boxes, or canisters, displayed by cash registers and in drive-thrus of McDonald’s restaurants.

By dropping spare change into canisters at McDonald’s, you can support RMHC a few cents at a time — it’s amazing how the money adds up. Canister collections help the Charity provide support to children and families worldwide.

How Chapters Can Participate

To participate in the Canister Program, a local RMHC Chapter needs to team up with its local McDonald’s franchises. The local Chapter purchases collection boxes, and the local McDonald’s donates space for the canisters.