Care Kits
Care kits are a great way for groups of all sizes and ages to get involved and support families.
Groups can participate from anywhere as long as one participant is able to deliver the kits to a House or Family Room.
The families we serve are often on the go between doctor appointments, hospital visits, and travel to and from the Houses. Care kits provide families with the essentials so they can stay by their child’s side.
You can prepare as many kits as you’d like at your school, office, hotel, community center, conference center, etc. – wherever works best for you and your group!
Creating Snack Packs
Snack packs are a great grab-and-go option for families as they travel between appointments and don’t have time for a meal or spend long days in the hospital and want an alternative to vending machine snacks.
Here are a few tips when assembling your snack packs:
- Use a one gallon-sized plastic storage bag per snack pack.
- Healthy food options are encouraged, but please do not include fresh fruits or vegetables.
- Label any packs including items containing nuts or other common allergens. Making some of packs nut- or peanut-free is strongly encouraged.
- Clearly label each snack pack with the date that it was assembled, as well as the earliest expiration date of the included snacks.
Each pack should include three to five snacks, all of which should be non-perishable, shelf-stable, unopened, and individually packaged.
For safety reasons, only store-bought items may be included.
A few items that are great for snack packs include:
- Pudding or fruit cups
- Granola bars
- Individual bags of chips, popcorn, pretzels, trail mix, or nuts (please label packs that include nuts)
- Peanut butter or cheese crackers
- Fruit snacks (not fresh fruit)
- Small boxes of cereal
Check out our full guide (PDF 164kb) on creating and assembling snack packs.
You can purchase items from the list above individually, or from our curated Amazon Lists.
Creating Welcome Bags
Whether a family has a scheduled trip to a Ronald McDonald House, or they arrive under unplanned circumstances, they need essential items to have a comfortable stay. Volunteer-created Welcome Bags are placed in each Ronald McDonald House guest room, ensuring families have everything they need from day one.
Important Notes
- Each Welcome Bag must be complete, based on the instructions in our Welcome Bag (125 KB) document.
- Make as many bags as you’d like (no min/max quantity requirements)!
- Each bag serves one guest family.
- All completed Welcome Bags must be dropped off at a local Ronald McDonald House.
- Contact [email protected] to arrange your delivery date/time.
Creating Welcome Bags
1. Gather the Bag Contents
- Each bag must include all the following items (everything must be new and unopened):
- 2 reusable water cups with straws
- 2 pens
- 1 adult coloring book
- 1 kids coloring book
- 1 box of crayons
- 1 each of travel-sized toiletries: hand sanitizer, toothpaste, individually-wrapped toothbrush, lip balm
- Individual pack of wipes
- 1 Tide To-Go Pen
- 4 packets of Liquid IV
- Colgate Wisps
- Mints/breath fresheners
- 1 deck of playing cards
- 1 family-sized snack such as popcorn or chips
2. Pack the Bags
- Get your volunteer group together at the off-site location that works best for you.
- Have your volunteers pack the collected contents into a plain tote like this. Use one tote per Welcome Bag.
Delivering Welcome Bags
To arrange a delivery date, time and location for your completed bags, contact our Community Engagement team.
Questions?
Contact the Community Engagement team.
Creating Refresh Kits
Families at the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s need the household basics to ensure they always feel fresh and ready to focus on what matters most – their children. Volunteer-created refresh kits provide families with much-needed essentials to give them care, comfort, and peace of mind.
Each kit must include at least one each of the following items (everything must be new and unopened):
- Bottle of liquid laundry detergent
- Container of laundry detergent pods
- Bottle of laundry stain remover
- Package of dryer sheets
- Bottle of fabric softener
- Pump bottle of hand soap
- Box of drawstring garbage bags
When you have all of your supplies, put the contents of each kit into a plastic laundry basket (one basket per kit) and assemble the kits wherever is most convenient for your group – a school, office, community center, conference room, etc.
Delivering Your Kits
To arrange a delivery date and time to bring your completed kits to the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s at 211 East Grand Avenue in Chicago, contact the Community Engagement team.
Check out our full guide (PDF 143 KB) on creating Refresh Kits.
Creating Grab-And-Go Meal Kits
Food is love at our Ronald McDonald Houses and Family Rooms and you can help spread the love to families! Families often have busy schedules and can’t sit down for meals every day. You can help by creating Grab-and-go Meal Kits to provide families with a quick, satisfying meal on the run.
Here are a few tips for creating your Grab-and-Go Meal Kits:
- Meal kits can only include nonperishable, shelf-stable items. Do not include food that needs to be refrigerated or frozen.
- All food must be factory sealed and unaltered from the time of purchase.
- Each kit should include one entrée, two sides, a beverage, and dessert.
- Include packaged plastic utensils and napkins.
- Label the kits with any expiration dates and common allergens.
- Make as many kits as you’d like! There are no minimum or maximum quantity requirements – just make sure your kits are complete!
View our meal kits handout (PDF 137KB) to learn more about creating and delivering meal kits.
Creating Self-Care Kits
Families staying at our Ronald McDonald Houses are dedicated to supporting their hospitalized children through challenging times. To help nurture their well-being, volunteer-created Self-Care Kits offer a moment of relaxation and personal care for families during their stay.
The following items can be included in the Self-Care Kits:
- $5 coffee gift card
- Pair of fuzzy socks
- Herbal tea with mug
- Fragrance-free lotion
- Sheet face mask
- Stress ball
- Nail paint stickers or manicure set
- Travel water bottle
Here are a few tips for creating kits:
- You may create as many kits as you’d like.
- Each kit must include at least three of the listed items.
- Please clearly label each kit with “Self-Care Kit, ages 18+” and the items included in the kit. (Example: Self-Care Kit, Ages 18+, 1 pair of fuzzy socks, 1 stress ball, and 1 manicure set)
- Pack the kits in 2.5 gallon-sized plastic storage bags (like these)
Delivering your kits:
All completed kits must be dropped off at a local Ronald McDonald House. Contact [email protected] to arrange your delivery date, location and time.
Questions?
Contact the Community Engagement team at [email protected].
Creating Toiletry Kits
When parents or caregivers have to travel far from home to stay near their hospitalized child, simple things like toothbrushes, shampoo, or hand lotion are often forgotten. But these items make a huge difference in helping parents feel refreshed and ready to face the day.
Each toiletry kit should include one each of the following travel-sized items, and can be collected in a gallon zip lock bag:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush (individually packaged and sealed)
- Body wash or bar soap
- Body lotion
- DO NOT include any razors, food, or other perishable items.
Become a Family Festivity Sponsor
Families staying at a Ronald McDonald House or Family Room are far from the comforts and traditions of home – including holiday celebrations. You can help families feel the love on special days as a Family Festivity Sponsor. In this way, you’ll create holiday-themed festivity boxes to ensure those we serve enjoy memorable moments even during challenging times.
Delivering Care Kits
If you are planning to assemble care kits, we encourage you to reach out to our Community Engagement team in advance so they can help answer any questions and coordinate delivery to our Houses.