Care Kits

Overview

Care Kits are a great way for groups of all sizes, ages, and abilities to get involved and support Ronald McDonald House families.

The families we serve are often running between doctor appointments, hospital visits, and traveling to and from the Houses.

Care kits help them access essential items that make it easier for them to have what they need and stay close to their child’s side.

Making a Care Kit

Care kits are bundles of at least 8-10 items packaged together for convenient use for House families. You can make these with your friends, family, company, or by yourself!

Note: We do not provide any packaging and do not accept unpackaged kits.

Guidelines

Please follow these guidelines when making a Care Kit:

Dos:

Make sure all items are new, unopened, and appropriate for children to protect the health and safety of our families.
Focus on our most needed items and make sure all products are within six months of their expiration dates.
Put at least eight items in each Care Kit.
Make sure all Care Kits provided are of similar size and value.
Set Care Kits up in sealable or reusable bags (ex: Ziploc, drawstring, or tote bags)
Label Care Kits with the category type to help staff quickly identify contents (Ex: Laundry Kit)
Adding notes is optional, but if you want to leave a note in a Care Kit, make sure they are uplifting and don’t focus on health-related topics.

Don'ts:

We don’t accept any items shaped like weapons or featuring violent imagery
We don’t accept any medications, including over-the-counter products (ex, ibuprofen or acetaminophen).
Don’t prepare more than 75 kits of a single type at a time. If you’d like to contribute more kits, we’ll accept up to 75 kits across each of the four categories below at a time.

Types of Care Kits

We accept four types of Care Kits, and some are needed more urgently than others. Please only pack the items listed below; other items will not be accepted. Any item with a star next to it is a high-need item for families in need.

Priority Need

Easy Meal & Protein Kit

New Family Kit

Applesauce
Beef jerky*
Dried fruit or trail mix*
Fruit cups*
Individually wrapped non-perishable snacks (e.g., granola bars, protein bars, pretzels, popcorn bags)
Juice boxes
Peanut butter packets
Peanut butter or cheese crackers*
Protein shakes*
Raisins
Shelf-stable meals & milk (mac & cheese cups, ramen, ready meals)*
Tuna or chicken salad kits with crackers*

Baby socks or mittens*
Burp cloths
Bibs*
Infant hat (lightweight cotton for temperature regulation)
Gentle baby wash or lotion*
Pacifiers (including preemie size)
Soft, plain, ungendered onesies (preemie-12 months)*
Swaddle or receiving blankets
Sleep sack (preemie–6 months or 6–12 months sizing)*
Small journal/notepad with a pen
Perinatal mental health resource card*
Diapers and pull-ups of all sizes.* We accept this item separately from pre-packaged Care Kits as well

Standard Need

Caregiver Wellness Kit

Supplemental Need

Laundry Kit

Cough drops or lozenges*
Earplugs (foam or silicone)*
Electrolyte and lemonade packets*
Fuzzy socks & slippers
Hand or body lotion
Nail clipper set*
Notebook or journal*
Phone charger
Reusable water bottle
Reusable hot/cold pack
Weighted eye mask or sleep mask*
Tea and honey
Therapy dough (.e.g knee-doh) or stress relief item*
Travel-size tissues*

Dryer sheets or dryer balls*
Fabric freshener
Hand sanitizer (travel size)*
Laundry detergent (unscented, sensitive-skin or baby-friendly)*
Lint roller
Mesh laundry bag for delicates
Sewing kit*
Small pack of disinfecting wipes (ex: Clorox to go)
Stain remover (ex: Tide to go or a similar stick / spray)*
Travel-size laundry bag*

Schedule your Care Kit Drop-off

To make sure someone is available to collect Care Kits, please schedule a drop-off time in advance.

Additional High-Need Items

If you’d like to go above and beyond for a family in need. We also accept the following high-need items alongside our Care Kits:

Quart, gallon, and jumbo-size freezer-safe Ziploc bags
K-Cup coffee pods compatible with Keurig machines
Microwave-safe food containers
Unscented, sensitive-skin, baby-friendly laundry detergent (larger sizes preferred)
Diapers and pull-ups of any size
Uber and Amazon gift cards (any amount)

We’d love to share your story! Take a minute to share in a video or text response why you chose to volunteer with Ronald McDonald House Washington DC, and upload any photos of your Care Kits. Your story can inspire others to get involved and support our mission.

Have any questions or need additional support? Email us at [email protected]

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